To follow-up on yesterday’s farewell to the beloved panda Taishan from the National Zoo in Washington, today he landed in China, and landed a corporate sponsorship. From the Washington Post:
In a deal negotiated over the past few weeks, Sichuan Auto Industry Group agreed to pay a million yuan, or about $150,000, to “adopt” Tai Shan for life.
The beloved giant panda who left the National Zoo on Thursday will still join China’s breeding program and stay under scientists’ care at the government-run Bifengxia Panda Base. But the company will pay for food, medical care and other daily expenses.
It’s unclear what Sichuan Auto gets out of it.
Cao Guodong, the automaker’s deputy general manager, said interest in the panda is related to efforts to develop an electric car to sell in the United States.
