Latest Panda News
Nov. 25, 2020
Thanks to fans all over the world, our giant panda cub now has a name: Xiao Qi Ji! There’s no denying that 2020 has been a tough year in many respects, but this little guy has been such a source... read more
Nov. 23, 2020
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The Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute’s 3-month-old giant panda cub received his name today. After five days of voting and just under 135,000 votes, the winning na... read more
Nov. 20, 2020
In the coming days, our giant panda cub will celebrate two big milestones. Tomorrow, Nov. 21, marks three months to the day that he was born. Two days later, Nov. 23, he will receive his name—thanks t... read more
Nov. 16, 2020
The Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute is asking the public to help name the male giant panda cub, now 9.2 pounds of adorable, at the David M. Rubenstein Family Giant Panda... read more
Nov. 12, 2020
Last Sunday morning, giant panda Mei Xiang rested in the doorway of the den she and her cub share. Her son crawled around the den and moved toward her. Mei Xiang stretched her forepaw in his direction... read more
Nov. 06, 2020
October was an exciting month for the Smithsonian’s National Zoo’s giant panda cub! His eyes and ears opened, mother Mei Xiang took him on “field trips” to explore the world outside their den and he g... read more
Nov. 05, 2020
It’s hard to believe our giant panda cub will be 11 weeks old tomorrow! As I mentioned in my last update, his mother Mei Xiang has been choosing to spend more time outside eating in the morning and ea... read more
Nov. 02, 2020
On Saturday, our giant panda family got into the Halloween spirit, thanks to the talented team in our Department of Nutrition Sciences. They whipped up some not-so-spooky “snack-o-lantern” treats for... read more
Nov. 02, 2020
Included below are comprehensive resources for media on the giant panda cub.
Jump to:
Cub Updates | Videos | Press Releases | Background and FAQs | How to Support | Panda Products | Photo/Vide... read more
Oct. 30, 2020
The afternoon of Oct. 28, giant panda mother Mei Xiang went outside to eat, per her new routine. The giant panda team took the opportunity to briefly weigh and measure our cub.
Throughout the exam,... read more
Oct. 26, 2020
If you’ve caught a glimpse of our cub on the Giant Panda Cam lately, you may have noticed that he likes to sleep on his back. It’s very cute to watch! When he is awake, he continues to practice crawli... read more
Oct. 22, 2020
Yesterday, Oct. 21, marked two months since our giant panda cub’s birth. That meant it was time for one of our Zoo veterinarians, Dr. James Steeil, to return to the Panda House to pay him a visit, per... read more
Oct. 19, 2020
It is remarkable how quickly giant panda cubs grow and change in their first few weeks of life. When our cub was just a few days old, mother Mei Xiang kept him tucked under her armpit or between her f... read more
Oct. 15, 2020
Tomorrow, our giant panda cub will be eight weeks old! Mei Xiang has always been a devoted mother to her cubs, and this little guy is no exception. She still spends the majority of her time in the den... read more
Oct. 08, 2020
After weeks of anticipation, our colleagues at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute’s Center for Conservation Genomics analyzed our giant panda cub’s DNA and determined that we hav... read more
Oct. 05, 2020
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The Smithsonian’s National Zoo’s 6-week-old giant panda cub is a male, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) scientists confirmed. During the cub’s first veterinary exam Sept. 19,... read more
Oct. 02, 2020
Yesterday morning, giant panda Mei Xiang stepped out of the den, and the panda team retrieved her 6-week-old cub for another quick checkup. During last week’s exam, the cub largely napped through the... read more
Sep. 28, 2020
Check out a video of last week's giant panda cub exam, which took place at the Panda House Sept. 25, 2020! The cub was 35 days old.
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Assistant curator of giant pandas Laurie Thompson... read more
Sep. 25, 2020
When Mei Xiang left her den to grab a bite to eat this morning, we had another opportunity to conduct a brief exam on our 1-month-old giant panda cub. The newborn was quite sleepy when we retrieved it... read more
Sep. 21, 2020
Our giant panda cub has reached a big milestone—today marks one month since its birth Aug. 21! Watching this little one grow under the care of its amazing mother, Mei Xiang, over the past four weeks h... read more
Sep. 18, 2020
It’s hard to believe that our giant panda cub is four weeks old! We are encouraged that the newborn appears to be growing well. This is a sign that it is getting good nutrition from mother Mei Xiang’s... read more
Sep. 14, 2020
Exciting news! When giant panda Mei Xiang left the den yesterday to eat some bamboo, the panda team was able to retrieve her 3-week-old cub for its first neonatal exam.
During the quick checkup, ke... read more
Sep. 09, 2020
Our giant panda cub is growing! As our newborn packs on the grams, it is becoming a bit easier to spot on the Panda Cam. Now that the cub’s markings have come in, we have a few weeks to go before the... read more
Sep. 04, 2020
As we celebrate the birth of our newest giant panda cub, take a look back at our top 10 favorite moments from the cub's first two weeks, as seen on the Panda Cam! Follow along on social media using th... read more
Sep. 03, 2020
Giant panda Mei Xiang continues to be a wonderful mother to her newborn. Last night, she gently set the cub down on the floor of their den and walked into her main indoor enclosure to drink some water... read more