News Archive

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.

Find comprehensive resources for media on the giant panda cub.

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.

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!

It’s official—our giant panda cub is as round as he is long, received his first vaccine and is 100% adorable.

Although our giant panda cub is still perfecting his crawling skills, mother Mei Xiang is helping her son see the world beyond their den. Over the weekend, the pair took a brief “field trip” into their large enclosure, where the cub got a glimpse of their indoor habitat.

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.

Our 6-week-old giant panda cub is packing on the pounds! Get the scoop on his weekly weigh-in from assistant curator Laurie Thompson.

The Smithsonian’s National Zoo’s 6-week-old giant panda cub is a male, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute scientists confirmed. During the cub’s first veterinary exam Sept. 19, Zoo veterinarians obtained a swab from his cheek for DNA analysis to determine the cub’s sex.

Giant panda keeper Marty Dearie shares that the Zoo's 6-week-old cub is starting to open its eyes. Check out the latest #PandaStory update!

Check out a video of last week's giant panda cub exam!

When Mei Xiang left her den to grab a bite to eat this morning, the Panda Team had another opportunity to conduct a brief exam on our 1-month-old giant panda cub.