The National Zoo's Giant Panda cub was officially named Tai Shan, pronounced tie shahn which means "peaceful mountain." The name Tai Shan was chosen as a result of the zoo's online poll which offered five choices of names that were approved by the China Wildlife Conservation Association. More than 202,000 votes were cast and the name Tai Shan won about 44 percent of the votes.
See Photos of Tai Shan
See a selection of panda toys and books
The Giant Pandas' Habitat
The Fujifilm Giant Panda Habitat opened as part of the new Asia Trail on October 17, 2006. Two new yards add more than 12,000 square feet to the Pandas' outdoor exhibit. Additions to the indoor exhibit include more visitor viewing space and informational exhibits.The outdoor exhibit is designed to recreate the Pandas' natural habitat including rock and tree structures for climbing; grottoes, pools, and streams for keeping cool; and shrubs and trees, including weeping willows, corktrees, maples, and several species of bamboo.
Visitors can view the Pandas from two levels and can get much closer to them than ever before. The Giant Panda Experience Zone enables visitors to get up close to examine the pandas, with only a glass barrier between them.
At the Plaza's Decision Stations, you can learn more about efforts to save pandas, see a topographic map of the mountains of central China, and experience multimedia displays of photos, video, and audio exploring the life of the Giant Pandas.
The Giant Pandas are an Endangered Species
The Giant Pandas are among the one of the rarest animals in the world and are an endangered species. Approximately 1,600 Pandas live in the mountain forests of central China and about 120 are in Chinese breeding facilities and zoos. Tian Tian and Mei Xiang arrived at the National Zoo in December 2000 and are on exhibit under a 10-year, $10 million loan agreement with China. The cub will be sent to China after his second birthday.We are very lucky to have these special bears in our zoo. Check out these photos of the adult pandas. Read more about the National Zoo and be sure to plan a visit when Tai Shan comes out to play. When you explore the National Zoo you will see a diverse selection of animals at the beautiful setting within Washington, DC's Rock Creek National Park.
