National Zoo Names Panda

WASHINGTON - That lovable little guy at the National Zoo will now be known as Tai Shan, which means "peaceful mountain."

The zoo kept with Chinese tradition and named the cub 100 days after its birth.

"This cub is healthy and strong," said John Berry, director of the Smithsonian's National Zoological Park, during the naming ceremony.

"Tai Shan is one of the most famous mountains in China," said Chinese embassy official Zheng Zeguang during the naming ceremony..

The zoo says 202,045 people voted online for the cub's name from Aug. 24 through Sept. 30.

Forty-four percent of those who voted chose Tai Shan.

Voters had five names from which to choose:

• Hua Sheng, which means "China Washington;"
• Tai Shan, which means "peaceful mountain;"
• Qiang Qiang, which means "strong, powerful;"
• Sheng Hua, which means "Washington China;"
• Long Shan, which means "dragon mountain."

The name Tai Shan received 88,245 votes. Qiang Qiang received 66,195; Sheng Hua, 18,146; Long Shan 16,100; and Hua Sheng, 13,359.

Panda fans celebrated the 100-day milestone at a zoo ceremony featuring performances by Chinese dance troops and martial artists. Officials from China delivered speeches toasting the fuzzy little cub.

Tai Shan, pronounced "tie-SHON," didn't attend the naming ceremony. He spent the morning with his mother, Mei Xiang, in a den that's still off limits to zoo visitors. His handlers are slowly introducing him to the exhibit enclosure where he's expected to go on public view within the next couple months.

Mom Mei Xiang had the cub July 9, four months after being artificially inseminated.

The cub is only the fourth panda cub in the United States - and the first at the National Zoo - to live more than a few days after being born in captivity.

Mei Xiang and the father, Tian Tian, are on a 10-year loan from China. The cub will be sent to China when it is 2.

(Copyright 2005 by WTOP and The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)