Zoo Atlanta Raises Thousands to Keep Pandas

Zoo Atlanta has raised more than $40,000 in the month since it announced a fundraising campaign to help keep its giant pandas. The zoo launched the "Give So They Can Stay" program June 17 in hopes of bringing in $500,000 to keep the popular animals. The fundraising will continue through the end of the year. The zoo's lease with China for its panda pair, Lun Lun and Yang Yang, is up this year. The couple has had two cubs - Mei Lan and Xi Lan – since 2006. Mei Lan will return to China in the next year to breed, while Xi Lan will stay with his parents.

(AP)

Baby panda gets name

Georgia's baby panda has a new name. Zoo Atlanta unveiled the boy panda's name today – Xi Lan (SHE LAHN). He was born August 31, but in keeping with Chinese tradition was not named until he turned 100 days old. The name was selected in an online poll on the zoo's Web site which drew 45,000 votes.

(Associated Press)

Baby lions born

Three baby African lions now call Georgia home. Zoo Atlanta says lioness Kiki gave birth to three live and two stillborn cubs Saturday. That brings the zoo's African lion pride to seven. Experts estimate the world's population of African lions has been reduced by nearly half in the last two decades to 47,000 living in the wild.