Welcome Washington's "New Couple"

Washington DC - Panda lovers everywhere will want to log on to a special Web site to be among the first to send a "Panda-Gram" to Tian Tian and Mei Xiang, the newly arrived giant pandas at The Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington.

The Panda-Grams - personalized, online messages from America's kids and panda lovers of all ages - will be printed and delivered to the Zoo in early January at the public opening of the refurbished giant panda exhibit.

Panda fans can create Panda-Grams and Panda Picture Postcards at: www.fujifilm.com/pandas. The site is part of the conservation partnership between the Friends of the National Zoo (FONZ), the National Zoo and Fujifilm, the lead sponsor of the two visitors from China, and the Web site features images of Washington's newest celebrity couple and provides information about the panda pair.

"Opening this exhibit in January 2001 will be an incredible moment for the Zoo, Fujifilm and all panda lovers," said Clinton A. Fields, Director of Friends of the National Zoo. "Our partnership with Fujifilm is based on a mutual concern for animal conservation. We also look forward to using Fujifilm's imaging and computer technology to enhance our ongoing panda research," Fields said.