From the Washington Post:
Inside the zoo enclosure, the plump little creature with the black ears, black eyes and awful posture slouched against the glass, shredding bamboo stalks with his teeth.
Outside the glass, officials from two nations, the mayor of the District of Columbia and a gaggle of other admirers were celebrating: Washington’s most important citizen, as Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) called him, would be allowed to stay and munch and slouch, and entertain, for two more years…
Tai Shan has drawn an estimated 2.25 million visitors since his public debut Dec. 8, 2005, zoo officials said, and tens of millions more have viewed him on the zoo’s panda cam. He has been on the cover of magazines, the subject of a documentary and the inspiration for various zoo merchandise.[Full Text]
