Latest Panda News
Jun. 14, 2021
How do you create a menu that is pleasing to the palates of giant pandas, Komodo dragons and freshwater stingrays? With more than 2,700 mouths to feed among 390 species, the Department of Nutrition Sc... read more
May. 28, 2021
Anticipation and excitement were in the air last week, as the Smithsonian’s National Zoo reopened to the public for the first time since late November. Whenever our animal care team introduces a young... read more
May. 14, 2021
As keeper Mariel Lally mentioned in our last #PandaStory update, giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji will soon learn a few husbandry behaviors that enable him to voluntarily participate in his own healthc... read more
Apr. 30, 2021
Very soon, the giant panda team will begin to train our 8-month-old cub, Xiao Qi Ji, to voluntarily participate in his own healthcare. Using positive reinforcement training, we teach our pandas behavi... read more
Apr. 16, 2021
One of the greatest joys of having a giant panda cub is being able to observe how he interacts with his mother, Mei Xiang. Over the past two decades, she has been a wonderful mother to cubs Tai S... read more
Mar. 19, 2021
As we head into spring, giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji is getting the hang of the daily routine at the Panda House. He turns 7 months old on Sunday and recently reached another milestone: on March 18, he... read more
Mar. 05, 2021
A string of sunny days has graced the Washington, D.C. region, much to the delight of our 6-month-old giant panda cub, Xiao Qi Ji. The first thing he does when he goes outside in the morning is trot o... read more
Mar. 05, 2021
From the moment his hearty squeal heralded his arrival, giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji became one of the most beloved bears on the planet. With each snuggle, sassy vocalization and sampling of new snacks,... read more
Feb. 26, 2021
On Sunday, Feb. 21, giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji turned 6 months old. To celebrate, our half-birthday boy tried yet another new food: homemade applesauce. We placed a big dollop on top of one of his enr... read more
Feb. 19, 2021
Just a few days shy of turning 6 months old, giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji accompanied his mother, Mei Xiang, into their outdoor habitat for the first time. Around 7:30 a.m. Feb. 16, we opened the door t... read more
Feb. 12, 2021
Happy Lunar New Year! Our 5-month-old giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji kicked off the week by enjoying a new treat Feb. 8. The panda team gave him a large, nutrient-rich biscuit to nibble on. Just like his... read more
Feb. 05, 2021
On Sunday, Jan. 31, giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji experienced yet another big milestone—his first encounter with snow! As the flakes were falling, we brought Xiao Qi Ji out of the indoor enclosure to a s... read more
Feb. 05, 2021
January was a month full of firsts for the Smithsonian's National Zoo's giant panda cub, Xiao Qi Ji. The growing bear played with his first enrichment toys, sampled his first sweet potato, took h... read more
Feb. 01, 2021
As snow blanketed the Washington, D.C. region Jan. 31, 2021, the Smithsonian's National Zoo's animals woke up to a winter wonderland. With this weather event came another significant milestone—gi... read more
Jan. 29, 2021
This was a big week for our little panda cub! On Wednesday, Jan. 27, the giant panda team hosted our first-ever virtual encounter with Xiao Qi Ji. An important part of saving species is being able to... read more
Jan. 22, 2021
Just like his mother, Mei Xiang, our giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji is curious yet cautious about the world around him. Yesterday—the day our cub turned five months old—we decided to introduce him to some... read more
Jan. 15, 2021
Giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji’s word of the week seems to be: play! Our 4.5-month-old cub’s interest in his surroundings really took off this week. He seems to explore the world with his mouth. He nibble... read more
Jan. 11, 2021
Over the past few weeks, our giant panda team has observed cub Xiao Qi Ji spend more time exploring the large indoor enclosures he shares with his mother, Mei Xiang, and less time in their den. Mei Xi... read more
Jan. 08, 2021
As the calendar turns to 2021, it is human nature to reflect on the moments that sparked inspiration in an otherwise challenging year. Giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji—who wobbled and walked, feistily... read more
Jan. 01, 2021
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Giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji continues to explore and take on new challenges—like climbing up rockwork in the indoor habitat he shares with mother Mei Xiang. As shown in this clip of “Xiao Qi J... read more
Dec. 28, 2020
2020 was an unprecedented year for people across the globe, but even as the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute temporarily closed its doors to the public, its work to save s... read more
Dec. 18, 2020
This week, we saw the sassy side of our almost 4-month-old giant panda cub, Xiao Qi JI. Around 6:30 a.m. Dec. 16, he and his mother, Mei Xiang, were spending time in their den. While Xiao Qi Ji rested... read more
Dec. 11, 2020
Our giant panda cub is on the move! At 3.5 months old, Xiao Qi Ji’s movements are a mixture of crawling and walking. He has been practicing his coordination, though, and he is working on getting his b... read more
Dec. 07, 2020
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Giant pandas, icons and ambassadors for the efforts to save the species in Washington, D.C., since 1972, will continue to live at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo through the end o... read more