Flickr user RoxandaBear recently uploaded this insanely cute video of Tai Shan eating an apple to our DCist Videos group. We couldn't ever get enough Butterstick, but we also can't help but notice that the Videos group is a little lacking in the non-adorable animal department. Our Flickr Photo group has become its own vibrant online community, and we'd love to see that same kind of participation in our Videos group. So let this......

For the non FONZ members of the reading audience, Tian Tian is the adult male giant panda at the National Zoo. That is to say, he's the Butter Daddy. He and Mei Xiang are to thank for bringing that lovable little fella we call Butterstick into the world. Of course, as is custom for giant pandas, there isn't a relationship between the father and his offspring (beyond the occasional glimpse through the fence; they......

It was three years ago today that the National Zoo welcomed Tai Shan into the world. We fell in love immediately with the little fella, whom we named after the first press release deemed him the "size of a stick of butter." The Zoo later officially gave him a different name (despite our best efforts otherwise). His first three years have been filled with some ups and downs — becoming the unchallenged object of affection......

The Associated Press has a shameful story this morning accusing the National Zoo's beloved panda cub, Tai Shan (aka Butterstick), of injuring a zookeeper. Pandas don't do anything wrong, AP! They are only adorable and cuddly and lovable and that's all. Didn't you get the memo? So the story is that Tai Shan entered his yard through an unsecured door Tuesday during a routine feeding, where he attempted to "play" with a zookeeper he encountered......