Baby panda's mom keeps him away from party

WASHINGTON, Oct. 17 (UPI) -- The star of Washington's National Zoo missed his 100-day birthday party and naming ceremony Monday, when the panda cub was given the name Tai Shan.

Tai Shan remains in the den where he was born. His mother, Mei Xiang, has refused to allow zoo keepers to move him, dragging him back into the den, the Washington Post reports.

The cub may not know it, but his life has been very public, with a video monitor catching most of his movements since birth for the benefit of the zoo's Web site. Name selection was also a public event with 44 percent of the voters opting for Tai Shan, or Peaceful Mountain, over three alternatives.

John Berry, the zoo director, announced the winner in front of a crowd of Chinese officials, Smithsonian Institution executives, zoo employees and visitors. The festivities included performances by martial arts troupes and Chinese dancers.

"For 14 weeks, millions of people have delighted in watching him," Berry told the assembled crowd. "We strained to see his tiny body when his mother, Mei Xiang, cradled him in her arms to nurse him. Now he's more than two feet long."