#PandaStory: 11 Weeks Old

It’s hard to believe our giant panda cub will be 11 weeks old tomorrow! As I mentioned in my last update, his mother Mei Xiang has been choosing to spend more time outside eating in the morning and early afternoon while her cub rests in their den. Yesterday, she stepped outside to enjoy the beautiful autumn weather and soak up some sun. The panda team took that opportunity to quickly check her growing cub’s weight and measurements.

Throughout the exam, our cub was mostly quiet and sleepy. As keeper Marty Dearie measured the cub, he lifted up his head. He barked at the sound of our laughter, then promptly fell asleep. He weighed 8.4 pounds (3.84 kilograms)—nearly a pound more than last week. From the tip of his nose to the base of his tail, he measured 20.4 inches long (52 centimeters). His abdominal girth measured 18.5 inches, up from 17 inches last week. His tail, which was a quarter of his body length at birth, is 2.3 inches long (6 centimeters), or one-eighth his body length.