Happy Birthday, Xiao Qi Ji! National Zoo's Panda Cub Turns 1

The youngest panda at the Smithsonian's National Zoo is now one year old.

Xiao Qi Ji celebrated his first birthday Saturday with a specially made fruitsicle cake, as did his parents, Mei Xiang and Tian Tian.

To see pictures and an adorable video, click here: Happy Birthday, Xiao Qi Ji! National Zoo's Panda Cub Turns 1

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PLUMP AND FEISTY: Baby Panda at National Zoo adds 2 Inches to Waist, Turns 8 Weeks Old

When mama bear Mei Xiang left the den yesterday to eat a fruitsicle (frozen treat made from diluted apple juice), zookeepers were able to retrieve the cub for a quick exam.

To read more on this story, click here: PLUMP AND FEISTY: Baby Panda at National Zoo adds 2 Inches to Waist, Turns 8 Weeks Old

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National Zoo Panda Update: Mom Mei Xiang Leaves Cub on its Own for the First Time (LISTEN)

WASHINGTON (ABC7) — The new giant panda cub at the National Zoo and mom Mei Xiang hit a milestone today, almost a week after the cub's birth.

According to panda caretakers, Mei Xiang left the den twice early Thursday morning to get a drink of water. It was the first time she's left her cub alone.

To read more on this story, click here: National Zoo Panda Update: Mom Mei Xiang Leaves Cub on its Own for the First Time (LISTEN)

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Last Night Around 5:40 p.m., Mei Xiang Placed the Cub on the Floor of Her Den for Just a Few Seconds

From the Smithsonian’s National Zoo:

“Giant panda Mei Xiang continues to exhibit excellent maternal care and is attentive to her cub. Regular, loud cub vocalizations are signs of good health and music to the panda team’s ears!

Last night around 5:40 p.m., Mei Xiang placed the cub on the floor of her den for just a few seconds, giving all of those watching the Panda Cam a fantastic view of her growing cub. It let out a few hearty squeals, and Mei Xiang immediately picked the cub up, cradled it and gave a few comforting licks.”

To read more on this story, click here: Last Night Around 5:40 p.m., Mei Xiang Placed the Cub on the Floor of Her Den for Just a Few Seconds

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Birth Of Panda Cub Brings ‘Joyous News’ To The National Zoo

WASHINGTON (AP) — Giant panda Mei Xiang gave birth Friday to a wiggling cub and immediately began cuddling her offspring, Washington’s National Zoo said.

The cub was born at 6:35 p.m. Eastern Time, the zoo said in an Instagram post that announced the “joyous news.” It will take some time before the sex of the cub can be determined.

To read more on this story, click here: Birth Of Panda Cub Brings ‘Joyous News’ To The National Zoo

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Giant Panda Mei Xiang Showing Signs Of Being In Labor, National Zoo Says

 

WASHINGTON (ABC7) — Days after confirming that giant panda Mei Xiang was pregnant with a cub, the National Zoo says Friday that signs of labor have started.

These signs include increased restlessness and body licking, according to caretakers.

You can stream the National Zoo's panda cam HERE.

To read more on this story, click here: Giant Panda Mei Xiang Showing Signs Of Being In Labor, National Zoo Says

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National Zoo Says Panda Mei Xiang Appears to be Pregnant, Could Give Birth Soon

The zoo said there could be panda cub, or cubs, within a few days.

Keepers at the Smithsonian's National Zoo said Friday they were thrilled to detect what looks like a fetus during an ultrasound earlier in the day on giant panda Mei Xiang.

"Theres no denying that a giant panda is a charismatic animal, this is a huge success story," zoo spokesperson Pamela Baker-Masson told ABC News. "We have million's of people watching our panda cam program every year around the world."

To watch panda cam, click here: Mei Xiang

To read more on this story, click here: National Zoo Says Panda Mei Xiang Appears to be Pregnant, Could Give Birth Soon

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The National Zoo's Giant Panda, With A Yearly Window of 24-72 Hours to Become Pregnant, May Be Expecting

(CNN)When Mei Xiang went in for an ultrasound on Friday, her results were shared around the world.

The 22-year-old giant panda could deliver a cub in the next few days, the Smithsonian's National Zoo announced, after imaging revealed what appeared to be a fetus.

Mei Xiang has had a team of experts supporting her through the process since March, when they performed an artificial insemination. The beginning of her journey toward expectant motherhood also marked the country's shift to life under a pandemic, with zoos temporarily shutting their doors around the nation. And now, the possible birth could mark another moment -- one of wonder amid a time of continued uncertainty.

To read more on this story, click here: The National Zoo's Giant Panda, With A Yearly Window of 24-72 Hours to Become Pregnant, May Be Expecting

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Bei Bei, the National Zoo’s Youngest Giant Panda Cub, Celebrated His First Birthday on Saturday with a Giant Frozen Cake

Washington, DC - Bei Bei, the National Zoo’s youngest giant panda cub, celebrated his first birthday on Saturday with a giant frozen cake—as all pandas do.

The colorful cake—made of frozen apple, carrot and beet juice by the zoo’s nutrition department—took two weeks to create and weighs about 150 pounds. It was adorned with a giant number one.

Bei Bei will officially turn 1 on Monday. Saturday’s birthday celebration also included Bei Bei’s older sister, Bao Bao, who turns 3 on Tuesday, and Tian Tian, the cubs’ father, who turns 19 on Aug. 27, the Washington Post reported.

Early into the zoo’s Facebook Live broadcast on Saturday, Bei Bei had yet to approach his birthday cake, though his mother, Mei Xiang, was enjoying the frozen treat.

To see what the rest of the pandas are up to, check out the giant panda cam livestream.



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Panda Cub Bao Bao, Reaches 18 Month Milestone Today: Will Soon Live Separately From Mom

Washington, DC - Bao Bao was born on August 23, 2013, at the National Zoo. Giant pandas are an endangered species, and are protected in part by conservation efforts at reservations and in zoos such as the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington D.C. Giant Panda births are rare.

She is has reach a major milestone at the National Zoo and will soon begin living separately from her mother.

18 months old, is the age when panda cubs stop nursing and start living separately from their mothers.

The zoo says Bao Bao began the weaning process naturally a few months ago. She is now eating significantly more bamboo and other solid foods. Bao Bao eats separately from her mother and spends about six hours each day separated from her mother.

The zoo's panda team expects the weaning process will be complete in early March, and Bao Bao will be living on her own.

Zoo veterinarians also say panda mother Mei Xiang is in good health.

Baby Panda Bao Bao Melting Hearts at National Zoo
Baby panda Bao Bao has had her public debut at Washington, D.C.'s National Zoo, with hundreds lining up for a glimpse of the five-month-old. WSJ's Neil Hickey reports on how Bao Bao is coping with the public adulation.




Wild Inside the National Zoo: Bao Bao's First Year
In the first episode of our web series, Wild Inside the National Zoo, we track a year in the life of the zoo's biggest star.




Bao Bao's First Snow Day!
Jan. 6, 2015—As the year’s first blanket of snow coated the Washington, D.C. area today, giant panda Bao Bao spent much of the morning playing in it for the very first time. The sixteen month-old panda cub tumbled down the hill in her outdoor enclosure, climbed trees and pounced on her mother Mei Xiang.


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