Giant panda News

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!

Our chill giant panda cub had his first encounter with snow this week! 

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 his first bite of bamboo, let fans into his habitat during his first livestream and experienced his first...

As snow blanketed the Washington, D.C., region Jan. 31, 2021, the Smithsonian's National Zoo's animals woke up to a winter wonderland.

Our little panda cub had a big week—from his livestream debut to his first taste of bamboo!

Our sweet panda cub had his first taste of sweet potato. Spoiler alert: he gobbled it up. 

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.

Spending more time out of the den presents giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji with more opportunities to explore—and play! 

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 gave many who follow his milestones a reason to smile.

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. 

From a litter of chirping cheetahs and the birth of a lovable giant panda cub to groundbreaking coral reef research and new strides in animal care, there were many milestones to celebrate this year.

This week, we saw the sassy side of our almost 4-month-old giant panda cub, Xiao Qi JI, as he let out a loud and feisty bark! 

Xiao Qi Ji is on the move! While our 3.5-month old giant panda cub is still sharpening his walking skills, he appears to be eager to explore the world around him. 

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 of 2023.

November was an exciting month for the Zoo's giant panda cub! He received a clean bill of health during his third veterinary exam, was named "Xiao Qi Ji" by his fans around the world and took his first steps.

That’s one small step for Xiao Qi Ji, one giant leap into our hearts. Our little giant panda cub marked yet another big milestone. Over the Thanksgiving holiday, he took his very first steps! 

In their latest update, giant panda keepers Marty Dearie and Mariel Lally reflect on the “little miracle” that is Xiao Qi JI and share details about a recent field trip where the cub spotted his dad, Tian Tian, for the first time! 

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 name is Xiao Qi Ji (SHIAU-chi-ji), which translates as “little miracle” in English. 

Big milestones are on the horizon for our giant panda cub. Tomorrow he turns 3 months old, and on Monday he’ll receive his name! (Did we mention tips the scale in double digits?) Get the update from keeper Marty Dearie. 

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 Habitat.

Adventure time for our giant panda cub! Over the weekend, Mei Xiang brought him into their indoor habitat to practice his crawling skills while she ate bamboo. Get the update from keeper Nicole MacCorkle.

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 grew bigger (and more adorable) by the day. 

It’s hard to believe our giant panda cub will be 11 weeks old tomorrow! Yesterday, the panda team took quickly checked our growing cub’s weight and measurements.

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 male Tian Tian and female Mei Xiang. 

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