Most people will send letters, packages, and gifts to their destination by FedEx, but what about a live panda cub?

Tai Shan, a US-born panda cub, will next week leave the National Zoo in Washington D.C. and be on his way in style for a new life in China — on board a new Federal Express cargo plane.

According to officials, on the morning of February 4, Tai Shan will be escorted by police to Dulles International airport where he will board a FedEx jet specially decked out for the occasion with a 40 foot by 40 foot emblem of a panda painted on either side of the cockpit.

“We’re going to use our new 777 freighter, the fastest, most efficient aircraft to get to Asia and Tai Shan will be the special passenger on that aircraft,” FedEx vice president of operations John Dunavant told reporters.

“We’re going to call this aircraft the FedEx Panda Express,” said Dunavant.

On board the “Panda Express” with Tai Shan will be one of his handlers and a veterinarian, as well as a two-year-old female panda and her entourage who will be picked up on the way in Atlanta.

Tai Shan and his panda travel partner, Mei Lan, will not have the run of the plane but will travel in comfort without being anesthetized, in crates crafted out of tubular steel.

“We’re confident he’ll travel well. He’s a very adaptable, laid-back bear,” said handler Nicole Meese, who will accompany Tai Shan on the journey and stay with him for a few days to help him make the transition to life in China.

Fortunately for Tai Shan, FedEx has years of experience transporting all sorts of wild animals, from lions to tigers to Tai Shan’s parents, which the global air freight company flew to the United States in 2000, long before Tai Shan was a twinkle in panda conservationists’ eyes.

After his 14-and-a-half-hour flight to Chengdu, China, Tai Shan will travel 2.5 hours by road to Wolong’s Beifengxia nature reserve in Sichuan province, where after spending 30-days in quarantine he will join the breeding program.

Tai Shan’s departure for China has been the plan since he was born in 2005, and in fact, under an agreement between the National Zoo and China, he was supposed to have been sent to the fatherland when he turned two years old.

However, the Chinese granted the Washington National Zoo an extension on his departure, partly because Tai Shan would have been too young at age two to enter the panda breeding program in China, but also because of the “huge emotional attachment the American public has for him,” said Don Moore, associate director of animal care at the National Zoo.

But now at age four-and-a-half, the young panda is showing signs that he would welcome being part of a breeding program, not to mention the chance to nibble at more than the four varieties of bamboo that are available to him at his home in Washington.

But that won’t make waving goodbye to him any easier for visitors and staff of the National Zoo.

“It’s like sending your kindergartner off to kindergarten, but this kindergartner isn’t coming back. He’s going to stay in China,” said Moore.

“I’m going to miss him terribly but I always knew this day was coming and we were lucky to have him an extra two-and-a-half years,” said Meese, who has spent almost every day with Tai Shan since his birth in the early hours of July 9, 2005.

“But I’m looking at the more important, big picture and that is that Tai Shan is going to be part of the breeding program, which will help to make sure future generations can enjoy giant pandas,” she said.

“And also, by him moving, it will free up some space in case his parents have a little brother or sister,” she added hopefully.

Zoo officials are carefully monitoring Tai Shan’s mother Mei Xiang after artificially inseminating her earlier this month.

If Mei Xiang does become pregnant, the National Zoo could welcome a new panda cub to the world anytime from three to six months from now. No word on whether the potential new cub will have to transfer to China to meet with this brother in the future. Best of luck, Tai Shan!

Marla Taviano, a wife and mother in Columbus, Ohio, dreamed of taking her family on an exotic African safari. But when she realized such an extravagant vacation was not exactly in the family budget, she settled on what she thought would be the next best thing: a promise to visit 52 zoos in 52 weeks. Earlier this month, the family accomplished their impressive goal.

“Zoos today do a great job of kind of transporting you to another place,” Taviano explains. “Like when you see the giant panda exhibit you can feel like you’re walking into China, or you see the giraffes and zebras and you feel like you’re in Africa. I love to travel and I love to spend time with my family and this was the best way to do both on a budget.”

The Tavianos, who don’t have any pets of their own, visited the zoos with an eye on the bottom line. They traveled everywhere in their 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan —logging 22,000 miles in all — and usually packed picnic lunches to keep expenses down. They only stayed in hotels seven times, instead crashing with 31 different friends and acquaintances for a total of 44 nights to keep costs low.

“My husband thought I was a little bit crazy when I brought up the whole zoo idea,” admits Taviano, who blogged about their zoo experiences and plans to write a book about their adventures. “But in the end this has been a marriage-strengthening thing. We pretty much didn’t buy any new clothes all year, we didn’t eat out a lot, but it didn’t feel like we were sacrificing.”

Amazingly, after all those zoo trips, Taviano says her family never suffered from zoo burnout and her daughters were always eager for their next animal adventure. Not convinced? Consider this past weekend: The family was in New York City after they already visited their 52 zoos for the year, but when they had four hours to spare they went to the Central Park Zoo. “We’re kind of zoo fanatics,” Taviano admits with a laugh. “But there’s always something new to see.”

Attention Attention! Great news for all you hot dogs and cool cats out there! Soon you can vacation, in style, at Disney’s new luxury pet resort!

This new facility will bring additional levels of service and amenities to Disney World pet guests while their owners enjoy Orlando’s attractions.

Pampered pet guests will enjoy amenities such as luxury suites with television and raised bedding, activities like nature walks and playgroups, and services ranging from ice cream treats to bedtime stories. The state-of-the-art facility will be located on Bonnett Creek Parkway in Walt Disney World Resort and is expected to open in 2010.

Best Friends Pet Care Inc. will build and operate a full-service, luxury pet “resort” at Walt Disney World Resort. The one-of-a-kind facility will cater to park and resort guests, as well as Walt Disney World employees, providing a full range of pet hospitality services including dog and cat boarding, day care and grooming services, and doggy day camp.

“We are thrilled to have this opportunity to come to Walt Disney World Resort to create the premier vacation destination for pets,” said Dennis Dolan, president and CEO of Best Friends Pet Care. “This project is still in the design phase, but our goal is to create a true resort destination for pets. This facility will be designed to fit into the Walt Disney World vacation experience and will be unlike anything else in the industry.

If you have a ticket booked June 1st, for travel June 17th or later, you will now be able to take your cat or small dog aboard the plane with you, in a carrier under your seat. Pet will still be banned from the cargo hold.

You must make a reservation over the phone announcing that you will be bringing your pet, and there is a $75 charge for each way for the pet (this is paid in person at the airline’s ticket counter.) You may only bring one pet carrier on board, however it can contain two pets. They must be able to stand up and turn around easily inside the carrier.

Do you hate having your pet fly in cargo when you are sitting in the plane’s cabin nice and comfy?

Pet Airways, a new airline for dogs and cats only, is set to begin service on July 14. This airline will service New York, Washington D.C., Chicago, Denver and Los Angeles.

The idea came to Alysa Binder, the founder of Pet Airways, when she moved from San Francisco to South Florida. Her beloved Jack Russel Zoe had to fly in cargo.

Pet Airways passengers will travel in the Beech 1900, a seat-less, 19-seat capacity, turbo-prop passenger plane. This plane will be climate controlled (No cold pets!) and have a pleasant, calming scent in the cabin to keep your pets comfortable.

Very similar to a regular Airline, there will be a check-in area called a “pet lounge” where dogs and cats can wait with their owners before boarding. Pets are then boarded onto the plane by “Pet Attendants,” who monitor and care for them throughout the flight. They will all receive bathroom breaks, treats, and fresh water.

Costing around $250 for a round trip ticket with Pet Airways may seem expensive, but it’s worth it when your pet arrives safe, calm, and not stressed. Prices vary by type of pet, size, and any special needs. Owners can even track the progress of their pet’s flight online!

Pet Airways plans to fly to at least 25 cities within the next couple of years. “Hopefully we’ll be able to expand internationally as well,” said Binder.