In the early morning hours, giant panda Mei Xiang gently placed her cub on the floor of her den. Vigilant panda cam observers were watching at 3:37 a.m. We're delighted to share the video with you on the Zoo's YouTube page! You'll see the tiny cub has a round belly which indicates to the panda team that it is nursing well. Also, the cub has a great set of lungs. There is a lot of squawking until Mei carefully picks the cub up again and cradles it.

Mei is much more aware of the keepers when they enter her den space to offer her food. Today Mei drank 56 oz., which is a good sign that she is doing well. Keepers and veterinarians continue to monitor the mother and cub. So as not to upset mom or endanger the staff, animal care staff will allow Mei Xiang's behaviors direct how they access the cub. Inside the den, they are very close to the bears and all visual and audible indications tell us that both are doing well.

We invite you to keep watching them on the panda cam but due to the volume of viewers, we have set the viewing period to 15 minutes. If you'd like to watch for a longer amount of time, you simply refresh the panda cam, or you can watch for an unlimited amount of time on the Zoo's App. Keep watching!