Zoo plans goodbye party for panda Tai Shan

In this photo released by the National Zoo in Washington, Tai Shan, a giant panda, is seen at the National Zoo’s third annual winter celebration, in Washington.

By: | Inside NoVA
Published: January 08, 2010

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WASHINGTON (AP) — The Friends of the National Zoo will host a "Farewell to Tai Shan" party at the end of the month as the 4-year-old giant panda will be sent to China.

The group announced Thursday that it will hold a goodbye party on Jan. 30 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Zoo officials said in December that Tai Shan (ty shawn) would be leaving under an agreement with the Chinese government.

The agreement that brought Tai Shan's mother, Mei Xiang (may shahng), and father, Tian Tian (tee-YEN tee-YEN), to the zoo calls for any panda offspring to be returned to China for breeding.

A zoo spokeswoman says the Jan. 30 event will be the main public farewell for Tai Shan. Panda fans will be able to write goodbye cards, and experts will be on hand. It's not clear, though, what day Tai Shan will depart.