The zoo, which is part of the Smithsonian Institution, has signed a letter of intent with China to rent two young giant pandas. Smithsonian secretary Lawrence Small says the money will go to supporting China's conservation efforts of the giant panda. The zoo still needs to work out which male and female pandas will be picked, and when they'll be delivered. Small says zoo and Smithsonian officials will return to China before August to resume negotiations. They also need U.S. government import documents.
Researchers say they hope to provide a living environment more like china's climate.
A gift to the United States by China in 1972, the pair had five cubs, but none of them lived more than a few days. Smithsonian Secretary Lawrence Small last week announced that Hsing-Hsing's stuffed remains would not be exhibited at the Museum of Natural History as originally planned, because many people did not think it was an appropriate fate for such a beloved animal. Giant pandas are so rare that there are only about 125 in zoos around the world and an estimated 1,000 in the mountains of China. Poaching and logging have reduced their habitat in recent years, but World Wildlife Fund officials say panda conservation efforts in China have increased recently. Only pandas already in captivity can be exported.