Washington-born panda Tai Shan (known locally as “Butterstick“) is set to leave the National Zoo for Bifengxia (“Green Peak Canyon”) in China. By FedEx.
Federal Express has prepared a special “Panda Express” airplane to transport the four-year-old chubby cub to a panda breeding center in his ancestral home. The plane’s name is rather unfortunate; it’s the same as Andrew and Peggy Cherng’s 820-store fast food chain.
Anonymous Washington sources believe our nation’s largest creditor is repossessing the rare beast and even taking a zookeeper hostage. National Zoo directors neither confirm or deny these allegations, and probably wouldn’t even if we asked them.
In any case, DC’s panda has an inflight surprise that may get him in the mood for his romantic Asian destiny. Tai Shan will have a sexy young traveling companion, Atlanta’s Mei Lan.
Image by Mike Licht. Download a copy here. Creative Commons license; credit Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com
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Tags: butterstick, China, giant pandas, National Zoo, pandas, Tai Shan
NotionsCapital 
February 4, 2010 at 9:21 am
[…] is apparently at Dulles Airport, waiting for cousin Mei Lan to arrive from Atlanta on the FedEx Panda Express. The two are scheduled to depart this morning for a romantic panda breeding station in Chengdu, […]