Animal Dignitary to Depart

It doesn’t seem that long, but after nearly five years in Washington D.C., one of the nation’s most beloved dignitaries is leaving. Tai Shan, a 4-1/2-year-old giant panda adolescent, is being shipped off to China. Tai was originally born in Washington and has lived at the Smithsonian National Zoo. As part of an agreement between the United States and China, Tai is being sent to China to help repopulate camera that follows him 24 hours a day, every day. You know you’re popular when a video of him sneezing as a cub has obtained more than 51 million hits since it was posted. Tai Shan will be shipped to China this Friday by special FedEx Panda Express.