Panda Bears on Yahoo! News Photos

Eli Rubin, 4, plays in the snow, with a panda made of snow behind ...

(AP) — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 17:25:48 GMT

(AP) - Eli Rubin, 4, plays in the snow, with a panda made of snow behind him in, Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2010, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Senior Zoo Curator Brandie Smith feeds four and a half-year-old ...

(AFP/POOL/File) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 17:28:48 GMT

(AFP/POOL/File) - Senior Zoo Curator Brandie Smith feeds four and a half-year-old giant panda Tai Shan a piece of pear shortly before the panda left the National Zoo for China in a steel crate in Washington,DC on February 4. A Chinese auto company said Sunday it had adopted Tai Shan, a much-loved panda that has just arrived in China from its birthplace in the United States, in a 60,000-dollar corporate deal.(AFP/POOL/File/Jacquelyn Martin)

Tai Shan, one of the Smithsonian Zoo's Giant Pandas explores ...

(AFP/File) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 17:28:48 GMT

(AFP/File) - Tai Shan, one of the Smithsonian Zoo's Giant Pandas explores on February 3 in his habitat before leaves to China. A Chinese auto company said Sunday it had adopted Tai Shan, a much-loved panda that has just arrived in China from its birthplace in the United States, in a 60,000-dollar corporatedeal.(AFP/File/Karen Bleier)

A panda eats bamboo in Beijing Zoo in Beijing, China, Monday, ...

(AP) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 10:38:29 GMT

(AP) - A panda eats bamboo in Beijing Zoo in Beijing, China, Monday, Feb. 8, 2010. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)

US-born panda cub Tai Shan left the National Zoo in Washington, ...

(AFPTV/Pool) — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 15:48:41 GMT

(AFPTV/Pool) - US-born panda cub Tai Shan left the National Zoo in Washington, headed in grand style for a new life in China -- on board a Federal Express cargo plane. Duration: 00:55(AFPTV/Pool)

Tai Shan, one of the Smithsonian Zoo's Giant Pandas, chews ...

(AFP/File) — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 15:48:41 GMT

(AFP/File) - Tai Shan, one of the Smithsonian Zoo's Giant Pandas, chews on bamboo on February 3 in his habitat. A "Panda Express" jet arrived in China on Friday carrying two furry former residents of US zoos, which experts hope will do their bit to boost dwindling numbers of the notoriously under-sexed species.(AFP/File/Karen Bleier)

One of two giant pandas arrives at the airport in Chengdu, southwest ...

(AFP) — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 15:48:41 GMT

(AFP) - One of two giant pandas arrives at the airport in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan province. A "Panda Express" jet arrived in China on Friday carrying two furry former residents of US zoos, which experts hope will do their bit to boost dwindling numbers of the notoriously under-sexed species.(AFP)

One of two American-born giant pandas, Tai Shan, is loaded off ...

(AP) — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 12:47:13 GMT

(AP) - One of two American-born giant pandas, Tai Shan, is loaded off from a cargo plane at Chengdu airport in southwest China's Sichuan province, Friday, Feb. 5, 2010. Two giant pandas arrived at their new China home Friday to find just what they'd left in the United States, live TV coverage and a passionate crowd. (AP Photo)

One of the two American-born giant pandas, Tai Shan, inside ...

(AP) — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 12:44:56 GMT

(AP) - One of the two American-born giant pandas, Tai Shan, inside a cage arrives at Chengdu airport in southwest China's Sichuan province, Friday, Feb. 5, 2010. Two giant pandas arrived at their new China home Friday to find just what they'd left in the United States, live TV coverage and a passionate crowd. (AP Photo)

American-born giant panda Tai Shan arrives at Shuangliu International ...

(Reuters) — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 11:47:03 GMT

(Reuters) - American-born giant panda Tai Shan arrives at Shuangliu International Airport in Chengdu, Sichuan province February 5, 2010. Tai Shan, the 4-year-old male panda born at the National Zoo of Washington D.C., will be transported to the Ya'an Bifeng Gorge Breeding Base of Wolong National Nature Reserve Friday evening, Xinhua News Agency reported. REUTERS/China Daily (CHINA - Tags: ANIMALS ENVIRONMENT) CHINA OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN CHINA

American-born giant panda Tai Shan arrives at Shuangliu International ...

(Reuters) — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 11:42:46 GMT

Panda keepers say goodbye to Tai Shan, one of the Smithsonian ...

(AFP) — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 05:31:45 GMT

(AFP) - Panda keepers say goodbye to Tai Shan, one of the Smithsonian National Zoo's giant pandas, as they prepare to send him to China in a specially designed crate prior to leaving the zoo in Washington, DC. Pandas are viewed as a national treasure in China, but they are notoriously poor breeders.(AFP/Saul Loeb)

Giant panda bear Tai Shan tugs on a snow-covered bamboo branch ...

(AFP/Getty Images/File) — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 05:31:45 GMT

(AFP/Getty Images/File) - Giant panda bear Tai Shan tugs on a snow-covered bamboo branch at the Smithsonian National Zoological Park on February 3, in Washington, DC. Fans flocked to the zoos in Washington and Atlanta to see the two pandas before their much-publicised departure, and some even skipped school with their parents' blessing to see off Tai Shan.(AFP/Getty Images/File/Chip Somodevilla)

Tai Shan, one of the Smithsonian National Zoo's giant pandas, ...

(AFP) — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 05:31:45 GMT

(AFP) - Tai Shan, one of the Smithsonian National Zoo's giant pandas, looks out of a specially designed crate prior to leaving the zoo in Washington, DC to be flown to China where he will participate in a panda conservation and breeding program.(AFP/Saul Loeb)

Four and a half-year-old giant panda Tai Shan is loaded onto ...

(AFP/Pool) — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 22:42:19 GMT

(AFP/Pool) - Four and a half-year-old giant panda Tai Shan is loaded onto the "FedEx Panda Express" to leave the National Zoo for China. Two US-born pandas flew off in a giant cargo plane Thursday for a new life in China as goodwill ambassadors to brighten moody US-China relations.(AFP/Pool/Jacquelyn Martin)

Four and a half-year-old giant panda Tai Shan is loaded onto ...

(AFP/Pool) — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 22:42:19 GMT

(AFP/Pool) - Four and a half-year-old giant panda Tai Shan is loaded onto the "FedEx Panda Express" to leave the National Zoo for China in Washington, on Thursday. Two US-born pandas flew off in a giant cargo plane Thursday for a new life in China as goodwill ambassadors to brighten moody US-China relations.(AFP/Pool/Jacquelyn Martin)

Nicole Meese sits with and feeds giant panda Tai Shan of Washington ...

(AP) — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 18:26:40 GMT

(AP) - Nicole Meese sits with and feeds giant panda Tai Shan of Washington after being loaded onto a cargo plane to be shipped back to China, Thursday, Feb. 4, 2010, at Dulles International Airport in Chantilly, Va. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Giant panda Mei Lan of Atlanta is secured inside a cargo plane ...

(AP) — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 18:04:18 GMT

(AP) - Giant panda Mei Lan of Atlanta is secured inside a cargo plane to be shipped back to China, Thursday, Feb. 4,2010, at Dulles International Airport in Chantilly, Va.. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Nicole Meese feeds giant panda Tai Shan of Washington, after ...

(AP) — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 17:52:44 GMT

(AP) - Nicole Meese feeds giant panda Tai Shan of Washington, after being loaded onto a cargo plane to be shipped back to China, Thursday, Feb. 4, 2010, at Dulles International Airport in Chantilly, Va.. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Tai Shan, the giant panda from Washington, rides in his crate ...

(AP) — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 17:46:34 GMT

(AP) - Tai Shan, the giant panda from Washington, rides in his crate to be loaded onto a cargo plane and shipped back to China, Thursday, Feb. 4, 2010, at Dulles International Airport in Chantilly, Va. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

People watch as the plane carrying giant pandas Mei Lan of Atlanta, ...

(AP) — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 17:41:41 GMT

(AP) - People watch as the plane carrying giant pandas Mei Lan of Atlanta, and Tai Shan of Washington, taxi for departure for a trip to China, Thursday, Feb. 4, 2010, at Dulles International Airport in Chantilly, Va. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Trainer Nicole Meese feeds giant panda Tai Shan after being ...

(AP) — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 17:32:19 GMT

(AP) - Trainer Nicole Meese feeds giant panda Tai Shan after being loaded onto a cargo plane to be shipped back to China, Thursday, Feb. 4, 2010, at Dulles International Airport in Chantilly, Va. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Trainer Nicole Meese feeds giant panda Tai Shan as he waits ...

(AP) — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 17:29:19 GMT

(AP) - Trainer Nicole Meese feeds giant panda Tai Shan as he waits to be loaded onto a cargo plane and shipped back to China, Thursday, Feb. 4, 2010, at Dulles International Airport in Chantilly, Va. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Giant panda Tai Shan waits to loaded onto a truck, prior to ...

(AP) — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 17:28:35 GMT

(AP) - Giant panda Tai Shan waits to loaded onto a truck, prior to being loaded onto a cargo plane and shipped back to China, Thursday, Feb. 4, 2010, at Dulles International Airport in Chantilly, Va. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Cargo workers help push the crate with giant panda Tai Shan ...

(AP) — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 17:21:46 GMT

(AP) - Cargo workers help push the crate with giant panda Tai Shan onto a truck prior to being loaded onto a cargo plane and shipped back to China, Thursday, Feb. 4, 2010, at Dulles International Airport in Chantilly,Va. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

A cargo worker helps push the crate containing giant panda Tai ...

(AP) — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 17:18:35 GMT

(AP) - A cargo worker helps push the crate containing giant panda Tai Shan onto a truck prior to being loaded onto a cargo plane and shipped back to China, Thursday, Feb. 4, 2010, at Dulles International Airport in Chantilly, Va. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Nicole Meese feeds giant panda Tai Shan prior to being loaded ...

(AP) — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 17:12:07 GMT

(AP) - Nicole Meese feeds giant panda Tai Shan prior to being loaded onto a cargo plane at Dulles International Airport in Chantilly, Va., Thursday, Feb. 4, 2010, before heading to China. Two giant pandas born in American zoos were headed to China by special cargo jet Thursday to become part of a breeding program in their endangered species' native land. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Nicole Meese feeds giant panda Tai Shan on a cargo plane at ...

(AP) — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 17:08:45 GMT

(AP) - Nicole Meese feeds giant panda Tai Shan on a cargo plane at Dulles International Airport in Chantilly, Va., Thursday, Feb. 4, 2010, before heading to China. Two giant pandas born in American zoos were headed to China by special cargo jet Thursday to become part of a breeding program in their endangered species' native land. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Nicole Meese feeds giant panda Tai Shan on a cargo plane at ...

(AP) — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 17:01:05 GMT

Giant panda Tai Shan is photographed right before leaving the ...

(AP) — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 16:29:52 GMT

(AP) - Giant panda Tai Shan is photographed right before leaving the National Zoo for China in a steel crate in Washington, on Thursday, Feb. 4, 2010. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, POOL)

Workers secure the Federal Express cargo plane, called the 'FedEx ...

(AP) — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 15:51:35 GMT

(AP) - Workers secure the Federal Express cargo plane, called the 'FedEx Panda Express', as it arrives at Atlanta's Hartsfield Jackson-International Airport Thursday, Feb. 4, 2010 to take Mei Lan, a 3-year-old female giant panda from Zoo Atlanta, to China. Mei Lan is Zoo Atlanta's firstborn giant panda. Before heading to China, the plane will make a stop in Washington, DC, where it will pick up Tai Shan, a 4-year-old male giant panda born at the National Zoo. The two giant pandas will become part of a breeding program in their endangered species' native land. (AP Photo/Rich Addicks)

Mei Lan, a 3-year-old female giant panda from Zoo Atlanta, is ...

(AP) — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 15:47:15 GMT

(AP) - Mei Lan, a 3-year-old female giant panda from Zoo Atlanta, is lifted onto a Federal Express cargo plane, called the 'FedEx Panda Express', prior to her departure from Atlanta to China Thursday, Feb. 4, 2010. Mei Lan is Zoo Atlanta's firstborn giant panda. Before heading to China, the plane will make a stop in Washington, DC, where it will pick up Tai Shan, a 4-year-old male giant panda born at the National Zoo. The two giant pandas will become part of a breeding program in their endangered species' native land. (AP Photo/Rich Addicks)

Mei Lan, in smaller crate, a 3-year-old female giant panda from ...

(AP) — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 15:45:25 GMT

(AP) - Mei Lan, in smaller crate, a 3-year-old female giant panda from Zoo Atlanta, is delivered to a Federal Express cargo plane, called the 'FedEx Panda Express', prior to her departure from Atlanta to China Thursday, Feb. 4, 2010. Mei Lan is Zoo Atlanta's firstborn giant panda. Before heading to China, the plane will make a stop in Washington, DC, where it will pick up Tai Shan, a 4-year-old male giant panda born at the National Zoo. (AP Photo/Rich Addicks)

Mei Lan, a 3-year-old female giant panda from Zoo Atlanta is ...

(AP) — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 15:43:57 GMT

(AP) - Mei Lan, a 3-year-old female giant panda from Zoo Atlanta is shown to the media prior to her departure from Atlanta to China Thursday, Feb. 4, 2010 aboard a Federal Express cargo plane, called the 'FedEx Panda Express'. Mei Lan is Zoo Atlanta's firstborn giant panda and will be accompanied on the trip by Heather Roberts, left, a giant panda keeper at Zoo Atlanta. Before heading to China, the plane will make a stop in Washington, DC, where it will pick up Tai Shan, a 4-year-old male giant panda born at the National Zoo. Experts believe there are only 1,600 giant pandas that remain in the wild. (AP Photo/Rich Addicks)

Panda keeper Laurie Thomspon, touches the nose of giant panda ...

(AP) — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 15:30:52 GMT

(AP) - Panda keeper Laurie Thomspon, touches the nose of giant panda Tai Shan while saying goodbye just before he leaves the National Zoo for China in Washington, on Thursday, Feb. 4, 2010. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, Pool)

Panda keepers and zoo staff say goodbye to giant panda Tai Shan ...

(AP) — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 15:18:48 GMT

(AP) - Panda keepers and zoo staff say goodbye to giant panda Tai Shan just before he leaves the National Zoo for China in Washington, on Thursday, Feb. 4, 2010. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, Pool)

Panda keeper Laurie Thomspon, checks on giant panda Tai Shan ...

(AP) — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 15:16:41 GMT

(AP) - Panda keeper Laurie Thomspon, checks on giant panda Tai Shan just before he leaves the National Zoo for China in Washington, on Thursday, Feb. 4, 2010. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, Pool)

Senior Zoo Curator Brandie Smith feeds 4 and a half-year-old ...

(AP) — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 15:00:10 GMT

(AP) - Senior Zoo Curator Brandie Smith feeds 4 and a half-year-old giant panda Tai Shan a piece of pear shortly before the panda left the National Zoo for China in a steel crate in Washington, on Thursday, Feb. 4, 2010. 'I wanted to feed him pear because it's his favorite,' says Smith, 'he's a great bear with a great personality and he did a great job today.' On Thursday, 3-year-old Mei Lan of Atlanta and 4�-year-old Tai Shan of Washington will fly to new homes in Sichuan, China, to become part of a panda breeding program. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, Pool)

4-year-old panda Tai Shan is seen on his last day at the National ...

(AP) — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 20:45:34 GMT

(AP) - 4-year-old panda Tai Shan is seen on his last day at the National Zoo in Washington, on Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2010. Tai Shan, who was born at the zoo in 2005, will be sent to China on Thursday to become part of a breeding program. Under the Smithsonian's panda loan agreement, any cub born at the zoo must be returned to China for breeding. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Panda Tai Shan, 4, is seen on his last day at the National Zoo ...

(AP) — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 19:51:05 GMT

(AP) - Panda Tai Shan, 4, is seen on his last day at the National Zoo in Washington, on Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2010. Tai Shan, who was born at the zoo in 2005, will be sent to China on Thursday to become part of a breeding program. Under the Smithsonian's panda loan agreement, any cub born at the zoo must be returned to China for breeding. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Giant Panda Tai Shan eats bamboo at the National Zoo in Washington, ...

(Reuters) — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 18:49:39 GMT

(Reuters) - Giant Panda Tai Shan eats bamboo at the National Zoo in Washington, in his last public viewing February 3, 2010. The four-year-old panda will be sent to Chengdu, China on Thursday to become part of a breeding program. REUTERS/Jose Luis Magana (UNITED STATES - Tags: ANIMALS SOCIETY)

Mei Xiang, mother of 4-year-old panda Tai Shan, rolls herself ...

(AP) — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 18:49:05 GMT

(AP) - Mei Xiang, mother of 4-year-old panda Tai Shan, rolls herself down a snowy hill on Tai Shan's last day at the National Zoo in Washington, on Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2010. Tai Shan, who was born at the zoo in 2005, will be sent to China on Thursday to become part of a breeding program. Under the Smithsonian's panda loan agreement, any cub born at the zoo must be returned to China for breeding. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Giant PandaTai Shan eats bamboo at the National Zoo in Washington, ...

(Reuters) — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 18:48:32 GMT

(Reuters) - Giant PandaTai Shan eats bamboo at the National Zoo in Washington, in his last public viewing February 3, 2010. The four-year-old panda will be sent to Chengdu, China on Thursday to become part of a breeding program. REUTERS/Jose Luis Magana (UNITED STATES - Tags: ANIMALS SOCIETY)

Panda fans say goodbye to 4-year-old panda Tai Shan on his last ...

(AP) — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 18:37:46 GMT

(AP) - Panda fans say goodbye to 4-year-old panda Tai Shan on his last day at the National Zoo in Washington, on Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2010. Tai Shan, who was born at the zoo in 2005, will be sent to China on Thursday to become part of a breeding program. Under the Smithsonian's panda loan agreement, any cub born at the zoo must be returned to China for breeding. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Panda Tai Shan, 4, is seen in his enclosure on his last day ...

(AP) — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 18:25:43 GMT

(AP) - Panda Tai Shan, 4, is seen in his enclosure on his last day at the National Zoo in Washington, on Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2010. Tai Shan, who was born at the zoo in 2005, will be sent to China on Thursday to become part of a breeding program. Under the Smithsonian's panda loan agreement, any cub born at the zoo must be returned to China for breeding. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Panda Tai Shan, 4, eats bamboo on his last day at the National ...

(AP) — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 18:24:01 GMT

(AP) - Panda Tai Shan, 4, eats bamboo on his last day at the National Zoo in Washington, on Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2010. Tai Shan, who was born at the zoo in 2005, will be sent to China on Thursday to become part of a breeding program. Under the Smithsonian's panda loan agreement, any cub born at the zoo must be returned to China for breeding. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

File- In this Aug. 27, 2007 file photo, Mei Lan, the only giant ...

(AP) — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 09:02:40 GMT

(AP) - File- In this Aug. 27, 2007 file photo, Mei Lan, the only giant panda cub to be born in a U. S. zoo in 2006 is shown at Zoo Atlanta in Atlanta, Ga. Chinese zookeepers are advertising for a tutor to teach Chinese to the American-born giant panda arriving this week in her parents' homeland. The language lessons, a special diet and even blind dates are also part of the red-carpet welcome being rolled out for 3-year-old Mei Lan, or Beautiful Orchid, by Chinese caretakers ahead of her arrival Friday, Feb. 5, 2010. (AP Photo/Gene Blythe, File)

FILE - In this July 6, 2007 file photo, The National Zoo's only ...

(AP) — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 09:01:14 GMT

(AP) - FILE - In this July 6, 2007 file photo, The National Zoo's only giant panda cub, Tai Shan, climbs a tree in Washington. Tai Shan will be arriving in China along with 3-year-old Mei Lan on Friday, Feb. 5, 2010. Under a deal between China and the U.S., all giant pandas originally from China are only lent out to foreign zoos for scientific study for several years. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)

Local volunteers take measurements and check for injuries on ...

(Reuters) — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:09:16 GMT

(Reuters) - Local volunteers take measurements and check for injuries on a giant leatherback turtle as she lays her eggs in Plaplaya, Honduras in this April 10, 2002 file photo. In 2010 - the International Year of Biodiversity - the United Nations wants efforts to slow the accelerating pace of extinctions to reach beyond nature lovers, to companies and economists. Shifting emphasis from emotional images of polar bears, pandas or leatherbacks that stress the fragility and beauty of nature, the focus is on a harder-headed assessment of how the natural world is a key to economic growth and new products. To match feature ENVIRONMENT/BIODIVERSITY REUTERS/Daniel Leclair/Files (HONDURAS - Tags: ENVIRONMENT SOCIETY ANIMALS)

The 167-kg (368 lb) leatherback marine turtle known as Tommy ...

(Reuters) — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:09:15 GMT

(Reuters) - The 167-kg (368 lb) leatherback marine turtle known as Tommy swims, in its new home, at the Sydney Aquarium in this April 12, 2006 file photo. In 2010 - the International Year of Biodiversity - the United Nations wants efforts to slow the accelerating pace of extinctions to reach beyond nature lovers, to companies and economists. Shifting emphasis from emotional images of polar bears, pandas or leatherbacks that stress the fragility and beauty of nature, the focus is on a harder-headed assessment of how the natural world is a key to economic growth and new products. To match feature ENVIRONMENT/BIODIVERSITY REUTERS/Tim Wimborne/Files (AUSTRALIA - Tags: ENVIRONMENT SOCIETY ANIMALS)