Giant panda Update Dec 6, 2013

It's been a big week for Bao Bao! She got her name on Sunday, thanks to the more than 120,000 votes cast. She now weighs a whopping 12.76 pounds! Keepers have noticed her putting bamboo in her mouth in an exploratory sort of way, though she's not eating yet.

Mei is beginning to take Bao Bao out of the den and into the large enclosure more frequently, even putting her up on the rockwork and allowing her to climb around on the lower level of the rockwork. The keepers have "baby-proofed" the panda enclosure by putting hay behind the rockwork to cushion any possible falls.

Like any human toddler, Bao Bao is still figuring out how to walk and move. The keepers noted her practicing walking quite a bit yesterday, and by this morning found her walking all over the place. It won't be long until she's a pro at all speeds and directions of panda locomotion!