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Giant panda News Archive

Jan. 07, 2022
How do you measure a year of giant panda cub cuteness? Giant panda Xiao Qi Ji — the Smithsonian’s National Zoo’s “little miracle” — gives all who follow his #PandaStory a reason to smile. Look back...
Dec. 21, 2021
On Dec. 17, Xiao Qi Ji took his first “panda paddle” in the pool! Get the latest #PandaStory update from assistant curator Laurie Thompson.
Dec. 20, 2021
We rounded up the animal antics and species conservation stories that made us laugh, smile and cheer in 2021. Take a look back at some of our favorite moments caught on video.
Nov. 29, 2021
Winter came a little early for giant pandas Tian Tian, Mei Xiang and Xiao Qi Ji. Our Department of Nutrition Science team provided all three pandas with a pallet of ice to play in!
Giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji eating an apple.
Oct. 29, 2021
It seems that giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji inherited his mother Mei Xiang’s fondness for the scent of bubble bath. On an autumn day, keepers presented the pair with some suds to play in, and they went...
Giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji stands on the wooden play structure, looking at the viewer.
Sep. 24, 2021
Giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji may have found a new favorite pastime. While keepers were cleaning the outdoor patio Sept. 16, our curious cub jumped in the hose spray and had a splashing good time!
Giant pandas Mei Xiang (left) and Xiao Qi Ji (right) enjoy a fruitsicle cake in honor of Xiao Qi Ji's first birthday.
Aug. 27, 2021
Last Saturday, Aug. 21, was a big day for our “little miracle.” Giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji celebrated his first birthday and shared not one but two delicious fruitsicle cakes with his mother, Mei...
Giant pandas Xiao Qi Ji (foreground) and Mei Xiang (background) celebrate Xiao Qi Ji's birthday with a panda-friendly fuitsicle cake.
Aug. 21, 2021
This morning, the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute celebrated giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji’s (SHIAU-chi-ji) first birthday with a specially tailored fruitsicle cake.
Aug. 06, 2021
One year ago, the Smithsonian’s National Zoo welcomed Xiao Qi Ji—a precious giant panda born in the midst of a global pandemic. As the giant panda team prepares to celebrate his first birthday Aug....
Aug. 06, 2021
Celebrate giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji’s birthday—and Zoo Guardians’ first anniversary—with giant panda keeper and real-life Zoo Guardian, Nicole MacCorkle!
Giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji sits atop the rockwork eating an apple.
Jul. 30, 2021
If there was a competition to see who could balance a ball on their paws in the most adorable manner, giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji would receive a perfect score!
Jun. 25, 2021
When it comes to husbandry training, giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji is a quick learner (and a very good boy)!
Jun. 14, 2021
How do you create a menu that is pleasing to the palates of giant pandas, flamingos and fishing cats? With more than 2,100 mouths to feed among 400 species, the Department of Nutrition Science whips...
May. 28, 2021
Giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji greeted his fans . . . then promptly fell asleep in his favorite tree. Get the latest news in assistant curator Laurie Thompson’s #PandaStory update.
A sleepy giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji cradles a slice of apple in his paws.
May. 14, 2021
Giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji is branching out into new places to play!  Get the scoop in assistant curator Laurie Thompson’s latest #PandaStory update. 
Giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji sitting in the grass.
Apr. 30, 2021
Giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji is very engaged with his surroundings! Soon, he will start husbandry training, enabling him to participate in his own healthcare. See more videos in keeper Mariel Lally’s #...
Apr. 16, 2021
In a playful battle over bamboo, Mei Xiang is always victorious. Get the latest news on our giant panda mother and her cub, Xiao Qi Ji, in keeper Nicole MacCorkle’s #PandaStory update. 
Apr. 02, 2021
Recently, giant panda mother Mei Xiang accompanied her cub, Xiao Qi Ji, for a climb! Watch the video and see more of our curious cub’s playful adventures. 
Giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji lays on his hammock and looks out into his exhibit.
Mar. 19, 2021
Giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji is exploring new sites and climbing to new heights! Get the scoop on his latest adventures in keeper Nicole MacCorkle’s #PandaStory update.
Giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji paws at a piece of banana on top of a green enrichment toy.
Mar. 05, 2021
Sunny days are here again! Warmer weather spells adventure for Xiao Qi Ji, and our 6-month-old giant panda cub had a blast exploring the great outdoors this week. 
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. Celebrate with the Smithsonian’s National Zoo as we look back at...
Giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji licks a dollop of homemade applesauce off of a large green enrichment toy.
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 made from cooked apples. 
Giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji walks tentatively onto the concrete outside the panda house that leads to the grassy yard behind him
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. 
Five-month-old giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji leans against rockwork in his habitat with one paw up on a cylindrical-shaped enrichment toy and nibbles on his first biscuit.
Feb. 12, 2021
Enrichment toy smeared with sweet potato just might be Xiao Qi Ji’s favorite treat. This week, keepers gave our giant panda cub a new food to nibble on: biscuits!
A giant panda cub stands in an area covered in a light dusting of snow and some scattered bamboo leaves.
Feb. 05, 2021
Our chill giant panda cub had his first encounter with snow this week!