#PandaStory: A Quiet and Calm Cub

This update was written by Asia Trail curator Michael Brown-Palsgrove.
Keeper Marty Dearie measures the Zoo's 9-week-old giant panda cub.
Keeper Marty Dearie measures the Zoo's giant panda cub.
The giant panda cub rests on a towel during his weekly exam Oct. 28.
The giant panda cub rests on a towel during his weekly exam Oct. 28.
Keeper Marty Dearie measures the Zoo's 9-week-old giant panda cub.
Keeper Marty Dearie measures the Zoo's giant panda cub Oct. 28.
The Zoo's 9-week-old panda cub fell asleep after keepers took his measurements Oct. 29.
The Zoo's giant panda cub fell asleep after keepers took his measurements Oct. 28.
Keeper Marty Dearie measures the Zoo's 9-week-old giant panda cub.
The giant panda cub rests on a towel during his weekly exam Oct. 28.
Keeper Marty Dearie measures the Zoo's 9-week-old giant panda cub.
The Zoo's 9-week-old panda cub fell asleep after keepers took his measurements Oct. 29.

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, the cub was quiet and calm. From the tip of his nose to the base of his tail, he measured 18.9 inches long (48 centimeters). His abdominal girth measured 17 inches (43 centimeters)—he added half-an-inch around his midsection since his last exam Oct. 21. He also gained a full pound since last week and now tips the scales at 7.5 pounds (3.43 kilograms).

After we took his measurements, he promptly fell asleep on the soft towel atop the exam table.

This story appears in the Oct. 30 issue of the Giant Panda Bulletin. Watch Mei Xiang and her cub on the Giant Panda Cam, and read previous cub updates here. Planning a visit to the Zoo? Please note that Asia Trail—including giant panda viewing—is temporarily closed to visitors for the scheduled repaving of walkways.