The fickle nature of the giant panda's reproductive system has foiled us once again. The National Zoo gave up the ghost this morning and announced that Mei Xiang's latest maybe-pregnancy won't result in an adorable panda cub for us to hug and squeeze and love forever. The Zoo said Mei either lost a developing fetus or once again experienced a "pseudopregnancy." From the release:In a pseudopregnancy, an animal's hormonal changes and behaviors are identical to......

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......

Good morning, Washington. Think good thoughts for Tian Tian, the National Zoo's male giant panda and the biological father of Tai Shan/Butterstick. Tian Tian underwent eye surgery yesterday to remove inflamed tissue from one of his third eyelids. He's expected to make a full recovery, but in the meantime he'll have to live with the shame of being the one to expose this whole pandas having third eyelids monstrosity. DCist has always held a......

Good morning, Washington. Can you feel the excitement in the air? That's right: it's Taxi Decision Day. Will District residents get a shiny new meter system, or have to make our peace with zones for the foreseeable future? Or will we be treated to a metered zone hybrid/abomination? It'll be just a few hours until we find out. Immigration Measures Elicit Passion, Lawsuits: The Post reports on the scene in Prince William County, where......

When the District's resident panda cub was born two years ago, zoo officials inadvertently compared the tiny, hairless creature to a stick of butter. Since then, Tai Shan has always been Butterstick to those who love him the most. But Butterstick -- who is no longer that small, that cute or worth that much news coverage -- may soon be forgotten. The Kids section of the Post (Yeah, we read it. Wanna fight?) is reporting......

A begrudging Mazel Tov from DCist to the city of San Diego is in order, as the Associated Press reports that Bai Yun, the San Diego Zoo's female panda, is definitely pregnant. Bai Yun has been put on "24-hour birth watch" after officials detected a fetus and fetal heartbeat through ultrasound images on July 18. More tests confirmed the pregnancy and the zoo made an official announcement yesterday. As you'll no doubt recall, Mei Xiang,......

Tai Shan, aka Butterstick, is 2 years old today. The National Zoo gave the furball a birthday treat made of apples, pears, and bamboo frozen in beet juice and water -- and a giant number 2 that apparently scared him quite a bit when it fell over. It's no beersicle, but it'll do. Happy birthday from all of your pals at DCist, Tai Shan.......

Welcome back to work, Washington. This week promises not only to feel longer than normal thanks to its coming on the heels of a holiday, but also hot enough that you might want to consider setting up an ad-hoc shower in your office, as there's little chance you'll get there without breaking into a sweat first. The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments has issued a Code Orange alert because of the heat wave, and......

Woe is all of us this morning, as the National Zoo has officially announced that Mei Xiang is not really pregnant after all. Real panda pregnancies are notoriously difficult to diagnose, and this time, unlike two years ago, the hormonal spike recently tracked in the mama panda was a symptom of a false pregnancy. Sniff. This makes Mei Xiang's fourth pseudopregnancy. She had three before giving birth to Butterstick (aka Tai Shan), her only cub......

Washington's most beloved toddler won't be sent to an unfamiliar country to participate in a forced breeding program. At least not yet. The irrepressibly cute Tai Shan, who turns two on July 2, has been given a reprieve by the Chinese government and will be staying at the National Zoo, at least for a while. Though the cub is a natural-born citizen of the U.S., an agreement with China says that any offspring from......

>> We realize it's been a while since we stirred the pot on Butterstick mania, but there's a new way to celebrate your love for all things panda. Keds has their own (surprisingly cute) panda shoes. No, they're not made of real pandas, but these canvas creations might be some comfort after Tai Shan is ripped from our grasp and shipped off to China this fall. >> This Mardi Gras one local blogger (sorta) remembers......

When Butterstick's official name was to be chosen, the National Zoo put the decision in the hands of us, the normal folk. Now they're looking to do the same with the three newest additions to the zoo's stock -- the tiger cubs. The National Zoo has opened online voting for the three cubs -- one male and two females -- that were born on May 24. The voting will remain open until August 21, and......

Tonight is the night -- we'll be celebrating Butterstick's one-year of cuteness at Chief Ike's Mambo Room in Adams Morgan, 1725 Columbia Road, NW. And in his honor, we've gotten some good drink specials lined up -- $5 Captain Morgan drinks, $4 Paulaner Hefeweizen's, and $3 Pabst drafts. From what the zoo folks tell us, Butterstick loves his Pabst. There will also be some good music on both floors. And yes, we do have a......

Tomorrow it is — we shall be gathering at Chief Ike's in Adams Morgan starting at 7 p.m. to celebrate Butterstick's first full year of life. We're encouraging anyone who's planning on coming to dress in black and white, a little token nod to our favorite panda cub. And in the spirit of the celebration, we'll be giving a way a prize-pack of panda-related goods to one lucky reader. Of course, nothing comes for free.......

The Butterstick juggernaut rolls on today, as NBC 4 fills a content gap with a story on how the little fellow, now eight months old, has switched from merely chewing on bamboo to actually swallowing the stuff (he also tries to get ahold of his mother's fruitsicles, which sounds dirty, but they're really just fruitsicles). And, of course, we swallow the stuff, happily clicking on the link and receiving as our reward images of the......

The National Zoo might finally be coming around to it -- "Tai Shan" just isn't sticking. In an email to DCist, a reader tipped us off to the following: Yesterday I received the latest edition of Zoogoer, the magazine for members of Friends of the National Zoo. On the back, there is an advertisement for the upcoming ZooFari benefit, the theme of which is "Black and White Night." Of course there is an adorable photo......

The Year of the Dog kicked off with a bang yesterday, as revelers celebrated the traditional Chinese New Year's festivities by eating, eating, and eating some more, writes the Examiner. Residents and visitors alike packed Chinatown's many eateries for chicken, dumplings, and mandarin oranges as a parade proceeded down H Street. Chinatown is home to a number of traditional Chinese restaurants, including China Doll, Chinatown Garden, Tai Shan, Li Ho, Chipotle, Hooters, Potbelly, and......

Six months on, and we're still not calling him Tai Shan. He's Butterstick, and he basked in even more attention than usual yesterday as he turned six months old. A hefty 27 pounds and boasting a newly-blackened nose, Butterstick has been all the rage in the District as of late -- those who haven't yet seen him in the flesh have opted instead for the voyeuristic Panda Cam, watching and awwing his every move. While......

Good morning, Washington. Like every other publication in town, we can't resist a good cover photo of the baby panda. We know how little Tai Shan feels: sometimes we also feel a little apprehensive and just want to peek around corners. The photo was posted along with two other by Flickr user randomduck. Today will be cloudy with highs in the 30s. Kaine Announces Slow Growth Plans: Virginia Governor-elect Tim Kaine announced he's serious about......

Great wall of Chinese take-out! Tom over at Unrequited Narcissism has uncovered what could be the most gruesome scandal to hit the District, nay, the entire country in decades. The information he reveals is a call to arms, and when there is war in the name of Butterstick, you can count on DCist to strap on plenty of ammo and indiscriminately shoot into crowds, regardless of the presence of innocent bystanders, as long as we......

Good morning, Washington. Now that the National Zoo has doled out public tickets, more photos of the baby panda are appearing online. Flickr user guy_incognito has uploaded an adorable set of photos of Butterstick/Tai Shan. Although we don't want to make you too jealous, this DCist will be taking a peek today. Turning to the news, yesterday was one of those days when all kinds of odd news improbably happens on the same day. What......

Yesterday a select group of National Zoo donors were given first crack at seeing the District's newest four-legged sensation, Butterstick (yes, officially he is called Tai Shan, but National Airport is also officially known as Reagan and we're not about to start calling it that). Parents and children took the opportunity to ohhh and ahhh their way past the undeniably cute panda cub and mother Mei Xiang, while those of us too cheap to donate......

Good morning, Washington. We hope you had an enjoyable weekend - whether it was checking out the D.C. United game (they tied Chicago 0-0 and will play again next weekend), discovering the FSM in the Metro, or checking out Howard's homecoming. Be prepared for wet weather today - today will be cloudy with rain developing later in the day and temperatures in the 50s. Hip-hop Artist Shot Over Weekend: Hip-hop artist Cameron Giles was shot......

Last night over 250 District voting rights activists attended an event they probably all wished they wouldn't have to celebrate -- DC Vote's Champions of Democracy 2005 award ceremony. Held in the Madison Hotel along 15th Street, attendees came together to share in food, drink, and mutual indignation over an undeniable and odious injustice forced upon the city's 600,000 residents -- the inability to vote for members of Congress. Beneath the pleasant social atmosphere ran......

One-hundred days on, and the suspense finally comes to an end. Washington's newest panda cub will now be known as Tai Shan, which means "peaceful mountain." While a fitting name, we're still partial to "Butterstick." The people have spoken, though, and we're not ones to resort to violence to make our point. But we will sulk. Update: Via the Post, we find that "Tai Shan" received 88,245 votes, 44 percent of the total votes cast.......

Help name the baby panda something else besides Butterstick, unfortunately...the National Zoo has posted a contest on their web site that anybody can participate in: a naming contest for the zoo's newest addition. Unfortunately the moniker Butterstick, a nickname that was popularized in these very pages and promoted throughout the blogosphere, is not an option. Surprisingly. What you can choose from follows:Hua Sheng (hwah-SHUNG), means China Washington, magnificent Sheng Hua (SHUNG-hwah), means Washington China, magnificent......