Results tagged “tiantian”

HUZZAH! The National Zoo's 7 year-old panda, Mei Xiang, has given birth "a baby the size of a stick of butter"!!! (Panda babies are pale and pinkish; imagine a larger hamster... the black and white markings aren't evident till later...for examples, see this newborn photo of Mei Sheng from San Diego, and ones where he is older, 1 and 2.) DCist says the panda exhibit will be closed for three months while the zoo keepers keep on eye on the new mom and baby. And all signs point to Mei Xiang being a good panda mom - she's been tending to the baby. No word on what Tian Tian, the male panda, has been doing, as his job was done once Mei Xiang was artificially inseminated, but we imagine he's been sleeping and eating as usual.

Memphis is known for many things - Blues, barbecue, Al Green - and now they've added another jewel: PANDAS. The Times examines Memphis' determination to reinvigorate their economy by adding pandas to the Memphis Zoo. (More information about the Memphis Zoo's panda is lovingly detailed at their site.) Now the pressure is on for the pandas, Ya Ya and Le Le to mate, and have a panda baby, so the zoo can attract more visitors and sell baby panda paraphenalia. While the Zoo does have "Panda Hotel Packages," Gothamist thinks a surefire hit for a Memphis tourist package would be a "Ribs 'N' Panda Weekend" where you'd get to try the best barbecue AND see the pandas.

Panda Passion Play
Yesterday, Gothamist decided to see what the National Zoo pandas were up to...