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☆ Giant pandas coming to San Francisco from China
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-19 | by ( Paradise Afshar | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —China will send giant pandas to live at San Francisco’s zoo for the first time, Mayor London Breed has announced. “The memorandum of understanding signed by Mayor Breed and the (China Wildlife Conservation Association) this morning is the first official leased agreement for Giant Pandas to have residency at the San Francisco Zoo,” a media release from the city on Friday reads. “In 1984 and again in 1985, the San Francisco Zoo temporarily hosted Giant Pandas from China as part of a global tour.”In February, it was announced that China would be sending two giant pandas to the San Diego Zoo – marking the first time it has granted new panda loans in the US in two decades, CNN previously reported. The National Zoo was the first US zoo to showcase pandas, and the end of its program had left Zoo Atlanta as the only other US zoo to feature pandas. Fewer than 2,000 giant pandas remain in the wild, according to the World Wildlife Fund, which lists the species as vulnerable.

Persons: Mayor London Breed, Mayor Breed, “, ”, Breed, Xi Jinping, Richard Nixon’s Organizations: CNN, Mayor London, Mayor, China Wildlife Conservation Association, Giant Pandas, San Francisco Zoo, Pandas, San Diego Zoo, Smithsonian National Zoo, Zoo, Zoo Atlanta, World Wildlife Fund Locations: China, Francisco’s, “ San Francisco, Washington, Beijing

☆ Abortion opponents settle lawsuit against D.C. museum over 'pro-life' hat ban
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-18 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Patrons enter the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum for the public reopening of the museum’s west end galleries on the National Mall in Washington, U.S. October 14, 2022. The federally funded museum agreed to pay the more than a dozen plaintiffs a total of $50,000 to settle the suit, according to the filing in U.S. District Court in Washington. And the Smithsonian agreed to notify security personnel at all of its museums and the National Zoo about its policy allowing hats and other articles of clothing bearing messages, "including religious and political speech." The settlement comes four months after the National Archives Museum in Washington agreed to pay $10,000 to a smaller group of plaintiffs and to abide by similar conditions to settle a similar lawsuit. The plaintiffs in that case were told by National Archives guards to either cover clothing bearing "pro-life" messages or leave that federally operated institution on Jan. 20, 2023.

Organizations: Air and Space Museum, National Air and Space Museum, Washington , D.C, Smithsonian, National Zoo, National Archives Museum, National Archives Locations: Washington , U.S, Washington ,, South Carolina, Washington

☆ Two giant pandas are moving to a California zoo in a rare loan from China
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Taylor Romine | Jessie Yeung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —China is sending two giant pandas to the San Diego Zoo – the first time it has granted new panda loans to the United States in two decades. His comments came shortly after the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington, DC sent its three pandas back to China – marking the end of more than 50 years of Chinese pandas being housed at the zoo. The National Zoo was the first US zoo to showcase pandas, and the end of its program had left Zoo Atlanta as the only other US zoo to feature pandas. San Diego Zoo returned its last two pandas to China in 2019, after its loan agreement ended. According to Xinhua, discussions are ongoing for “a new round of cooperation” with the National Zoo and a zoo in Austria.

Persons: Xi Jinping, ” Xi, Xi, Joe Biden Organizations: CNN, San Diego Zoo, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, Smithsonian National Zoo, Washington , DC, Zoo, Zoo Atlanta, China Wildlife Conservation Association, Xinhua, Washington, Smithsonian, National Zoo, World Wildlife Fund Locations: China, United States, Washington ,, San, Europe, Germany, Netherlands, Denmark, Finland, Qatar, Xinhua, Austria

Walnut, a white-naped crane and internet celebrity, has passed away at age 42. That preference continued when she came to the institute; she showed no interest in breeding and even attacked male crane suitors. Photos You Should See View All 45 ImagesBut white-naped cranes are considered vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. And as the offspring of two wild-caught cranes, Walnut’s genes were not represented in U.S. zoos. Once Crowe had gained her trust, he was able to artificially inseminate her using sperm from a male crane.

Persons: Chris Crowe, Walnut, ” Crowe, “ I’ll, Chris, Crowe Organizations: WASHINGTON, Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoo, International Crane Foundation, International Union for Conservation of Nature . Locations: Front Royal , Virginia, U.S, Mongolia, Siberia, Korea, Japan, China, Wisconsin

☆ Britain Says Bye-Bye to Its Only Pandas as They’ll Soon Depart for China
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Eduardo Medina | More About Eduardo Medina | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

On Wednesday, crowds gathered to say goodbye and catch one final look at Yang Guang and Tian Tian, who for 12 years have enraptured millions of visitors and residents of Edinburgh. “We’ve flown up for the day; we must be mad,” Lauren Darling, who recently visited the zoo, told The Telegraph. But American zoo officials and scientists said that it came down to biology, or “panda time,” since the three pandas should be going back to China because they are at an advanced age. A similar reason was cited by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland. The pandas, the zoo said, arrived in Edinburgh in December 2011 as part of a 10-year arrangement between the organization’s charity and the China Wildlife Conservation Association, which allowed them to keep the pandas an extra two years because of the pandemic.

Persons: Yang Guang, Tian Tian, “ We’ve, ” Lauren Darling, It’s, Rebecca Plant Organizations: Telegraph, National Zoo, Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, China Wildlife Conservation Association Locations: Edinburgh, Britain, Washington, China

☆ Xi Jinping Revives Hopes for Pandas’ Return to the U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( James T. Areddy | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Xiao Qi Ji, the 3-year-old male giant panda born at the National Zoo in Washington, was flown to China earlier this month along with his parents. Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty ImagesChinese leader Xi Jinping ’s suggestion that China would send new pandas to the U.S. was a minor gesture in an otherwise bitter rivalry but symbolic of attempts by both governments to find areas to cooperate. It was also a reminder of how pandas have long occupied a special place in U.S.-China diplomacy.

Persons: Xiao Qi Ji, Anna Moneymaker, Xi Jinping Organizations: National Zoo, Getty Images Locations: Washington, China

The coronavirus pandemic exposed frailties in their supply chains. Chinese President Xi Jinping, too, met with American business leaders — at a $2,000-per-plate dinner Wednesday evening. “The global economy is recovering, but its momentum remains sluggish,” Xi said. “Industrial and supply chains are still under the threat of interruption and protectionism is rising. The new framework has four major pillars: supply chains, climate, anti-corruption and trade.

Persons: Fresh, Joe Biden, “ We've, ” Biden, hasn't, Bill Clinton, Biden, Kamala Harris, Alexei Overchuk —, “ Will, Xi Jinping, —, ”, Xi, ” Xi, Josh Boak, Didi Tang Organizations: FRANCISCO, APEC, Russia's, U.S, Smithsonian National Zoo, Atlanta Zoo, Biden, Pacific, won’t, Associated Press Locations: China, U.S, Bangkok, Ukraine, Israel, Russia, United States, Northern California, Tokyo, Washington, San Francisco

☆ China pandas: Xi Jinping hints he could send new pandas to US as ‘envoys of friendship’
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Yong Xiong | Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Their departure leaves Zoo Atlanta as the only other US zoo to feature pandas from China. “Recently, the three pandas at Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington D.C. have returned to China. The Chinese leader did not offer additional details on where any future Chinese pandas might be sent, but suggested California would be the most likely destination. The San Diego Zoo returned its last two pandas to China in 2019, after the loan agreement concluded. It’s also the Chinese leader’s first trip to the US in more than six years.

Persons: Xi Jinping, ” Xi, “, Xi, Joe Biden, Richard Nixon’s, Tian Tian, Mei Xiang, Xiao Qi Ji –, It’s, Biden Organizations: CNN, San Diego Zoo, Beijing –, Smithsonian National Zoo, Smithsonian National, Zoo, Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Locations: China, United States, San Francisco, Beijing, Europe, Germany, Netherlands, Denmark, Finland, Qatar, Washington ,, Zoo Atlanta, Washington, California, Bali , Indonesia

☆ Car Talk and Birthday Wishes Punctuate Biden’s ‘Trust but Verify’ Diplomacy
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Katie Rogers | More About Katie Rogers | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

“You know what they call that car?” Mr. Biden asked Mr. Xi. Mr. Biden wished Mr. Xi’s wife a happy birthday. Mr. Xi replied with embarrassment that he had forgotten her birthday was approaching because he had been working so much. At another point, Mr. Biden brandished a picture of a younger Mr. Xi standing on the Golden Gate Bridge. Mr. Biden eventually pierced the “Kumbaya” moment by telling reporters after the carefully coordinated summit that he still considered the Chinese leader a dictator.

Persons: Mr, Biden, Xi, ’, Xi’s, “, ‘, Mao Ning, Biden’s, Donald J, Trump, —, Vladimir V, Putin, Kim Jong Organizations: Economic Cooperation, Mr, North Locations: United States, China, Asia, Washington, Russia, Helsinki, North Korean, Lago, Florida

☆ US would welcome back any pandas from China, White House says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Nov 16 (Reuters) - The United States would welcome back any giant pandas China decides to send, the White House said on Thursday after Chinese President Xi Jinping hinted he might return some of the cuddly-looking black-and-white bears as a friendship gesture. And we respect the sovereign decision that China made to remove some of the pandas," White House spokesman John Kirby said at a briefing. "And certainly should a decision be made by the PRC (People's Republic of China) to restore some of the pandas to the United States, we would absolutely welcome them back." He said he also learned that the San Diego Zoo and people in California look forward to welcoming pandas back. "Pandas have long been envoys of friendship between the Chinese and American peoples," Xi said.

Persons: Xi Jinping, John Kirby, Xi, Xiang, Tian Tian, Xiao Qi Ji, Doina Chiacu, Michael Martina, Chris Reese Organizations: PRC, People's, San, Economic Cooperation, San Diego Zoo, Pandas, World Wildlife Fund, Zoo, Thomson Locations: United, China, People's Republic of China, United States, San Francisco, Asia, California, Washington, Sichuan

☆ PANDA WATCH: More Pandas might be coming to the US after multiple zoos had to send theirs away, China's top leader teases
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

General Secretary Xi Jinping opened the door to returning giant pandas to US zoos. Xi's comments come as all giant pandas at US zoos will soon be sent to China. Xi's comments came as lease agreements with US zoos are set to expire with no immediate replacement, meaning all giant pandas currently in the nation will soon return to China. The Atlanta Zoo is currently the only zoo in the US left with giant pandas. Advertisement"Recently, the three pandas at Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington D.C. have returned to China.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Xi, Joe Biden, —, Chinese Communist Party Xi Jinping, Xi's, Pat Nixon Organizations: Service, Chinese Communist Party Xi, Atlanta Zoo, Smithsonian National Zoo, Chinese Foreign Ministry, Washington Post, Biden Locations: China, Beijing, United States, Washington , DC, San Diego, Memphis, Washington

Later, Beijing loaned the pandas to other U.S. zoos, with proceeds going back to panda conservation programs. The National Zoo’s three giant pandas, Mei Xiang, Tian Tian and their cub Xiao Qi Ji, eight days ago began their long trip to China. After their departure, only four pandas are left in the United States, in the Atlanta Zoo. Unproven allegations that U.S. zoos mistreated the pandas, known as China’s “national treasure,” flooded China’s social media. The San Diego Zoo returned its pandas in 2019, and the last bear at the Memphis, Tennessee, zoo went home earlier this year.

Persons: Xi Jinping, ” Xi, Xi, Joe Biden, Mei Xiang, Tian Tian, Xiao Qi Ji, Biden, Ashraf Khalil Organizations: FRANCISCO, U.S ., National Zoo, Atlanta Zoo, San Diego Zoo, Garden, China Wildlife Conservation Association, Associated Press Locations: China, United States, California, San Diego, U.S, Beijing, Washington, San Francisco, Memphis , Tennessee

☆ Panda Diplomacy Might Not Be Dead Just Yet
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Edward Wong | More About Edward Wong | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The fur balls might be coming back to Washington and San Diego. Xi Jinping, China’s leader, said in a speech on Wednesday night that his nation’s best diplomats, giant pandas, might soon return to zoos in the United States that have recently sent bears back to their homeland. “We are ready to continue our cooperation with the United States on panda conservation, and do our best to meet the wishes of the Californians so as to deepen the friendly ties between our two peoples,” he told a gathering of mostly business executives at a dinner in San Francisco. Mr. Xi pointed out that the pandas are “envoys of friendship between the Chinese and American peoples.”Panda-monium gripped the United States last week when the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington sent its two aging adult pandas, Mei Xiang and Tian Tian, and their cub, Xiao Qi Ji, or “Little Miracle,” back to China on a 19-hour FedEx flight, the Panda Express.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Mr, Xi, Mei Xiang, Tian Tian, Xiao Qi Ji Organizations: FedEx, Panda Express Locations: Washington, San Diego, United States, San Francisco, China

The San Diego Zoo sent its pandas home in 2019 and the last bear at the Memphis, Tennessee, zoo went home earlier this year. Whatever the reason, San Diego Zoo officials were hopeful. "It is a moment with some heartbreak in it,” National Zoo Director Brandie Smith said at the time. The San Diego Zoo has been panda-less for four years and may need to upgrade or refurbish its facilities. The National Zoo had announced plans to renovate its panda house and outdoor enclosure, but the timing on those plans is unclear.

Persons: —, Xi Jinping, Xi, Mei Xiang, Tian Tian, Xiao Qi Ji —, ”, Daniel Ashe, ” Dennis Wilder, ” Wilder, Wilder, Gavin Newsom's, Xi’s, Paul A, Baribault, Ling, Hsing, Brandie Smith, Le Le, Didi Tang, Amy Taxin Organizations: WASHINGTON, San Diego Zoo, National Zoo, Atlanta Zoo, Veteran, Economic Cooperation, Association of Zoos, Aquariums, Georgetown University’s Initiative, U.S, California Gov, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, “, Zoo, Associated Press Locations: America, California, San Diego, U.S, Memphis , Tennessee, China, Veteran China, People's Republic, Asia, San Francisco, United States, Washington, Memphis, Santa Ana , California

The pandas’ departure from the National Zoo leaves Zoo Atlanta as the only other US zoo to feature pandas from China, and not for much longer. First lady Pat Nixon welcomes China's giant pandas on April 20, 1972, at Washington's National Zoo. They have since become the parents of seven giant panda cubs born at Zoo Atlanta, according to the zoo. Staff at the National Zoo say they’re hopeful China might one day send over more giant pandas. Plans for the exhibit, with a welcome sign announcing the “Giant Pandas of Chengdu” and a panda-themed gift shop, aren’t clear.

Persons: Tian Tian, Mei Xiang, Xiao Qi Ji, Nixon, Mao Zedong, Richard Nixon, ”, Mao Ning, Richard Nixon’s, Mao Zedong’s, Pat Nixon, “, Hsing, YaYa, Xin Xin, David Culver, Fernando Gual Sill, CNN Xin Xin –, Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, Yang Yang, Lun Lun, Steve Schaefer, –, Bob Lee, Jane Mahalik, “ Pat Nixon, ” Mahalik, Jill Biden, Yong Xiong, Melissa Gray Organizations: CNN, Smithsonian National Zoo, ” Zoo, National Zoo, Zoo, AP China, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Washington, of Public Service, Memphis Zoo, Atlanta, Chapultepec Zoo, Pandas, Zoo Atlanta, Getty, Scotland, Edinburgh Zoo, Adelaide Zoo, Chengdu Research Base, Staff, National Locations: Washington ,, China, what’s, Zoo Atlanta, Beijing, United States, City of Peking, Washington, Atlanta, Russia, Mexico City, Chapultepec, Mexico, “, China’s, Moscow, Qatar, AFP, America, Zoo, Chengdu, New York, Los Angeles

The pandas, accompanied by three zookeepers, will travel to a reserve in China’s mountainous Sichuan province, where an estimated 1,800 pandas are still found in the wild, according to the National Zoo. "It's a moment of joy because this is one more step in 50 years of a successful giant panda conservation program and hopefully the beginning of 50 more years of successful giant panda conservation," she said. Mei Xiang, 25, and Tian Tian, 26, arrived at the National Zoo in 2000. The trio, made famous by the zoo's "Giant Panda Cam" with more than 100 million views, were part of a fading legacy in which giant pandas served as animal ambassadors. Kimberly Blalock, a young visitor at the National Zoo on Tuesday, was among the last to see the pandas on display in Washington.

Persons: Xiang, Tian Tian, Xiao Qi Ji, munch, Brandie Smith, It's, Mei Xiang, Richard Nixon's, Kimberly Blalock, Kevin Fogarty, Kia Johnson, Rich McKay, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Boeing, FedEx Panda Express, Dulles International, National Zoo ., National Zoo, U.S . Pandas, China Wildlife Conservation, U.S, Georgia's Zoo, Thomson Locations: China, Sichuan, U.S, Memphis, San Diego, Georgia's, Georgia's Zoo Atlanta, Washington, Atlanta

☆ How might one get pandas to mate? Try leg workouts.
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-29 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Pandas Mei Xiang, Tian Tian, and their cub, Xiao Qi Ji, will leave their enclosure in DC next year. During their time at the National Zoo, staff tried to get Mei Xiang and Tian Tian to mate. One of the exercises was to get Tian Tian to stand as tall as he could to work out his legs, according to the newspaper. For Mei Xiang, curators had her lie on a log to help her prepare for when Tian Tian approached her. AdvertisementAdvertisementSince her time in America, Mei Xiang has given birth to four surviving cubs with Tian Tian.

Persons: Xiang, Tian Tian, Xiao Qi Ji, Mei Xiang, Tian, —, We're, we're, Brandi Smith, Stefani Reynolds, Pierre Comizzoli Organizations: National Zoo, Service, Washington Post, Post, Zoo, Panda Cooperative Research, National, Getty, FedEx Locations: China, Washington, America

WASHINGTON (AP) — The National Zoo's three celebrity giant pandas will be heading home a little earlier than expected. Zoo officials told The Associated Press on Thursday that adult bears Mei Xiang and Tian Tian and their cub Xiao Qi Ji will be returning to China sometime in mid-November. The zoo’s exchange agreement with the Chinese government, originally brokered by President Richard Nixon 50 years ago, expires Dec. 7. The San Diego zoo returned its pandas in 2019, and the last bear at the Memphis, Tennessee, zoo went home earlier this year. The pandas return to China when they reach old age, and any cubs born in the United States are sent to China around age 3 or 4.

Persons: Mei Xiang, Tian Tian, Xiao Qi Ji, Richard Nixon, Annalisa Meyer Organizations: WASHINGTON, Associated Press, U.S, China Wildlife Conservation Association, Zoo, Atlanta Zoo Locations: China, Beijing, San Diego, Memphis , Tennessee, America, United States

☆ Giant chicken frog faces extinction due to a deadly amphibian fungus
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-22 | by ( Taylor Nicioli | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —The mountain chicken frog was once so abundant in Dominica, with thousands found across the island, that it became a national delicacy, supposedly tasting of chicken. Chytridiomycosis is a fungal infectious disease that affects more than 500 frog species across the world. A research team spent 26 days searching for the mountain chicken frog in Dominica. The research team spent hundreds of hours searching for the chicken frog during the months of July and August. “There are many things that people can do to prevent the spread of chytrid and help protect frogs,” Kaganer said in an email.

Persons: Chytridiomycosis, Andrés Valenzuela Sánchez, ZSL, Sánchez, Jeanelle Brisbane, “, Alyssa Wetterau Kaganer, ” Kaganer, chytrid, Kaganer, … Organizations: CNN, Zoological Society of London, & Conservation Biology, Cornell Wildlife Health Lab, London Zoo Locations: Dominica, Caribbean, Montserrat, ” Brisbane, Dominica —

☆ How Do You Send a Panda to China? D.C. Can Hardly Bear the Thought
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( Story Andrew Duehren | Photographs Angela Owens | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

As the U.S. and China relationship has grown more tense, panda politics have also become more black-and-white. Three cubs previously born at the National Zoo have already been sent to China, while pandas at other U.S. zoos have also recently left.

Organizations: National Zoo Locations: U.S, China

☆ Craft beer, marriages and air travel: The collateral damage of a government shutdown
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( Alex Seitz-Wald | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +14 min

Staff, meanwhile, have been forced to put their real jobs on hold to prepare for the looming shutdown. National parksThe National Park Service plans to close its parks and furlough park rangers if the government shuts down on Sunday. During the 2018-2019 shutdown, the parks themselves remained accessible, but without most services. Some presidential libraries would remain open as long as they have sufficient funds, but others would close and research services would be reduced. A shutdown would result in a "data blackout" of critical economic statistics that influence markets and businesses around the globe.

Persons: Donald Trump, that's, Biden, Joshua, Armando L, Sanchez, Pete Buttigieg, they're, White, Treasury Department furloughed, shutdowns Organizations: Yosemite, Fresno Bee, Tribune, Service, Getty, White House Council, Economic Advisers, Management, Staff, National Park Service, Park Service, Department of Interior, NBC, Congressional Research Service, National Zoo, U.S . Holocaust, Museum, National, Science, National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control, Prevention, FBI Agents Association, FBI, Air, Transportation Security, LaGuardia, TSA, O'Hare International, State Department, Consular, Education Department, AmeriCorps, Agriculture Department, Assistance, Women, Small Business Administration, Federal Housing Administration, Social, Consumer, Food and Drug Administration, Consumer Product Safety, Environmental Protection Agency, Occupational Safety, Health Administration, Labor, —, Social Security, Medicare, Treasury Department, Foreign Assets Control, Russia Locations: El Capitan, Yosemite Valley, Washington, Civil, U.S, Europe, Southeast Asia, New Mexico, shutdowns, New York, Chicago, Russia, Iran, Ukraine

A general view of the U.S. Capitol, where Congress will return Tuesday to deal with a series of spending bills before funding runs out and triggers a partial U.S. government shutdown, in Washington, U.S. September 25, 2023. Congress has shut down the government 14 times since 1981, though most of those funding gaps have lasted only a day or two. Despite the looming shutdown deadline, the House will turn its attention first to the four full-year bills, which even if they pass would not fund the full government or prevent a shutdown. Success is not guaranteed: Republican hardliners blocked action on spending bills last week and some have said they would try to do so again. But that could prompt Republican hardliners to act on their threat to depose McCarthy, plunging the chamber further into chaos.

Persons: Jonathan Ernst, Kevin McCarthy, Moody's, Joe Biden, McCarthy, Biden, McCarthy's, Ralph Norman, Donald Trump, David Morgan, Andy Sullivan, Moira Warburton, Trevor Hunnicutt, Scott Malone, Bill Berkrot Organizations: U.S . Capitol, REUTERS, Rights, U.S . House, Democratic, Republican, National, U.S . government's AAA, Republicans, Social Security, House Republicans, Sunday, Caucus, Senate, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Washington, China, Congress, America

☆ US National Zoo Bids Farewell to Pandas as Government Shutdown Looms
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( Sept. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

(Reuters) - Washington's National Zoo is honoring its three giant pandas with nine days of events ahead of their return to China but stormy weather and a looming U.S. government shutdown have put something of a damper on the festivities. Mei Xiang, Tian Tian and their cub Xiao Qi Ji are scheduled to be returned in early December. The zoo, operated by the Smithsonian Institute, receives federal funding, and would be forced to close to the public during a government shutdown, according to its website. Mei Xiang, 25, and Tian Tian, 26, came to the zoo in 2000 under a cooperative research and breeding agreement with the China Wildlife Conservation Association. The zoo did not say whether it has any immediate plans to acquire more giant pandas, but said on its website that it "hopes to continue this work in the future."

Persons: Mei Xiang, Tian Tian, Xiao Qi Ji, Xiang, Zhou Enlai, Richard Nixon's, Julia Harte, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Reuters, Embassy, Smithsonian Institute, China Wildlife Conservation Association Locations: China, U.S, Washington, United States

☆ US National Zoo bids farewell to pandas as government shutdown looms
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Visitors take photos of giant panda Mei Xiang eating bamboo during the reopening morning of Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington, U.S., May 21, 2021. Mei Xiang, Tian Tian and their cub Xiao Qi Ji are scheduled to be returned in early December. The shutdown would not disrupt animal care, but the zoo's popular live "Panda Cam" would go dark. Mei Xiang, 25, and Tian Tian, 26, came to the zoo in 2000 under a cooperative research and breeding agreement with the China Wildlife Conservation Association. The zoo did not say whether it has any immediate plans to acquire more giant pandas, but said on its website that it "hopes to continue this work in the future."

Persons: Kevin Lamarque, Mei Xiang, Tian Tian, Xiao Qi Ji, Xiang, Zhou Enlai, Richard Nixon's, Julia Harte, Bill Berkrot Organizations: REUTERS, Embassy, Smithsonian Institute, China Wildlife Conservation Association, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, China, U.S, Washington, United States

The Office of Management and Budget reminded senior agency officials Friday to update and review shutdown plans. Those plans can vary from shutdown to shutdown. The nearly 4 million Americans who are federal employees will feel the effect immediately. Essential workers will remain on the job, but others will be furloughed until the shutdown is over. For many of them, a shutdown would strain their finances, as it did during the record 35-day funding lapse in 2018-2019.

Persons: “, ”, Doreen Greenwald, Everett Kelley, Pell, disbursing Pell, It’s, treasurers Organizations: CNN, Management, National Treasury Employees Union, American Federation of Government Employees, Transportation Security Administration, Social Security, TSA, of Labor Statistics, Federal Reserve, Business Administration, Futures, US Centers for Disease Control, Drug Administration, Safety, Health Administration, Environmental Protection Agency, ”, Smithsonian, National, National Archives, National Park Service, of Education, Federal Student Aid, Federal, Department of, Assistance, SNAP, US Department of Agriculture, Women, of Housing, Urban Development, Commission, Research, NOAA, Oceanic, Administration, National Science Foundation, Peace Corps, State Department, Defense Department Locations: United States, America, Washington, DC, shutdowns

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