AP: (http://msnbc.msn.com/id/9727644/) WASHINGTON, D.C. - Some kids have
clowns and magicians at their birthday parties.
But one very popular birthday boy at the National Zoo had a celebration
with dancers
in dragon costumes, percussionists beating on drums (ED: DW?), and throngs of
admirers
(ED: Read: Rush Fans!) penning
good luck wishes onto red ribbons.
And his present was one that many had awaited since his birth 100 days
ago: a name.
On Monday, the zoo's baby giant panda was dubbed "Tai Shan," Chinese
for "peaceful mountain." (ED: It is expected that the panda will be old enough
to travel with the band when the next Rush Tour kicks off, and he'll be positioned on the stage behind bassist
Geddy Lee, replacing vending machines and dryers :-))
The name, one of five proposed for the cub, received 44 percent of the
more than 202,000 votes cast (ED: by Rush fans) on the zoo's Web site (ED: which was subsequently
overwhelmed and suffered a server crash on the last day of voting). The little panda went
without a name for its first 100 days in observance of a Chinese custom that
originally applied to humans.
"In traditional China, when a baby grows to 100 days, it's supposed to
be very strong,"
said Zheng Zheguang, deputy chief at the Chinese Embassy. "That
tradition has also
lent itself to the panda family."
But for Tai Shan, those 100 days have even greater meaning, since it's
rare for
pandas born in captivity to live more than a few days. Tai Shan is only
the
United States' fourth - and the National Zoo's first - panda cub to
survive this long (ED: and the first Panda in history to request Rush songs
while living in its den, Zookeepers report they are tired of listening
to "Hold Your Fire").
The cub took his first steps last week and has started exhibiting a
healthy playfulness,
zoo officials said. On Sunday, his mother, Mei Xiang, was resting when
he stretched up
and touched his nose to hers (ED: and whispered: "If you raise your hands to heaven, you will live a hundred years")
then swatted her with his paw. When the
mother came down
from her platform and picked him up, he squirmed and swatted her again (ED: and she replied:
"High on the sacred mountain, up the seven thousand stairs, in the golden light of autumn,
there (is) magic in the air.")
Sneak peek for one lucky (ED: Rush) fan.
His handlers are slowly introducing him to the exhibit enclosure where
he's expected
to go on public view in December, once Mei Xiang is comfortable being
separated from
him, zoo officials said. (ED: Zoo officials are scrambling to install a DVD player in time for the Nov. 22nd
release of Rush's new live material).
"She's going to be the one to let us know," said chief veterinarian
Suzan Murray.
But at least one panda (Rush) fan got a sneak peek at the cub. Rod Sallee, 61,
(ED: Who has seen Rush since before he was Going Bald) was randomly selected from those who voted for the cub's name to get a private tour
(ED: and a backstage pass) to the panda den.
"It's very exciting to be able to see (ED: Rush) in person (again)," said Sallee, of
Harpers Ferry, W.Va.
Tai Shan will be sent to China when he is 2. Mei Xiang and the father,
Tian Tian,
are on a 10-year loan from China.
"I hope that Tai Shan has a long and prosperous and happy life," Yan
Xun, a director
at China's conservation department, said through an interpreter. (ED: It's a timeless song, of course). "And I
hope it
represents a long and prosperous relationship between the (ED: Rush Fans of the) United States
and China."
The China Wildlife Conservation Association and zoo officials had
selected five names
from which voters could choose. The others were: Hua Sheng, which means
"China Washington"
and "magnificent;" Sheng Hua, which means "Washington China" and
"magnificent;" Long Shan,
which means "dragon mountain;" and Qiang Qiang, which means "strong,
powerful."
Susan Langan, 33, said she voted for the winning name after watching the
cub on the zoo's online "Panda Cam" (ED: That featured a certain accompanying
audio clip).
"He just sleeps very peacefully, so I thought it was a very appropriate
name," she said.
