News Archive

One of the defining and iconic characteristics that makes giant pandas unique among bears is their diet -- bamboo. They evolved to eat bamboo, which is a type of grass, and although it makes up about 99 percent of their diet, pandas have the gastrointestinal tract of a carnivore. All bamboo might...

Over Labor Day weekend, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) released excellent news about its Red List of Threatened Species. It upgraded the giant panda from "endangered" to "vulnerable." The latest giant panda census counted more than 1,800 in the wild -- nearly double the...

WHAT: A traditional Zhuazhou ceremony for giant panda cub Bei Bei. ( Media opportunity only. Not open to the public. Public celebration for Bei Bei, Bao Bao and Tian Tian's birthday begins at 11 a.m.) WHEN: Saturday, Aug. 20 8 a.m. to 9 a.m.: Zhuazhou ceremony 1 p.m.: Giant pandas receive frozen...

Bei Bei's still growing like a weed! He was 37 pounds as of March 17 and growing daily. We have started very basic training with him.

As some of our panda cam viewers may have noticed, we've made some changes at the panda house recently. Each giant panda requires an individualized care plan. It's been a great learning experience for the Zoo's panda team to care for Bei Bei. Mei Xiang gains more experience with each cub, and it was...

On behalf of the entire Zoo, we'd like to thank the 7,498 people who traveled far and wide to meet Bei Bei last Saturday! The panda house is now open daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Now that Bei Bei is bigger and more active, he's not always inclined to sit still on the scale long enough to get an...

Representatives from the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute helped lead a Giant Panda Laboratory Diagnostic International Exchange Training workshop with staff from the China Conservation & Research Centre for the Giant Panda (CCRCGP) in November. The workshop was the third and final...

As of December 7, Bei Bei weighed about 16 pounds (7.32 kg). Even though he's grown exponentially over the last few months, he still won't be eating bamboo for a while. However, he has started to mouth it, which is typical of a cub his age. Bei Bei's teeth are continuing to come in, but we're not...

During a routine exam on Monday November 30, Bei Bei weighed 15 pounds (6.89 kg)! He's getting more difficult to weigh now that he is trying to climb out of the weighing tub! In stark comparison, his older sister Bao Bao weighs almost 150 pounds (68 kg). At his exam on November 19, we saw that Bei...

Bei Bei is a healthy 12.5 pound boy and he's on the move. Although he took his first steps, the rock work provided more traction than the slippery floor, so it will take him a little longer to figure out how to walk on this surface. The other cubs were able to eventually figure it out though so we...

This morning, Bei Bei weighed 5.35 kilograms, or 11.79 pounds. His ear canals are open, and keepers have noticed that he is starting to respond to noise. Mei Xiang has been bringing Bei Bei out of the den to the indoor enclosure regularly and leaving him while she eats or goes outside. Under her...

When last weighed on Friday October 30, Bei Bei was 9.5 pounds! Since he is growing so rapidly, we know for certain that he is getting enough to eat. However, Bei Bei still occasionally fusses after he nurses. It is possible that Mei Xiang, like many mammal mothers, occasionally ends the nursing...

On October 8, vets performed an exam on Bei Bei. He weighed in at 5.9 pounds. His eyes are now fully open and he is getting more active and rambunctious. He also received his first vaccination. Before the full veterinary exam, our chief veterinarian Don Neiffer settled the panda cub by massaging two...

Look at those toes! Our favorite panda cam shot from our #PandaStory Flickr album this week was from user partipersian. Look at those toes! Our favorite panda cam shot from our #PandaStory Flickr album this week was from user partipersian. A photo posted by Smithsonian's National Zoo (...

Yesterday, before Bei Bei's full veterinary exam our chief veterinarian Dr. Don Neiffer settled the little panda cub by massaging two pressure points at the base of his skull. And Bei Bei really seemed to enjoy it. He closed his eyes, rested his chin on Dr. Neiffer's hand and relaxed. #PandaStory ​...

Keepers had a chance to weigh Bei Bei on Thursday, October 1, when Mei Xiang left her den to eat. He now weighs about 5 lbs. This is an increase of a pound since he was weighed last week! Vets also did a thorough checkup and took some body measurements. Bei Bei's head to the tip of his tail measures...

The classic nose to nose nuzzle! Thanks to Janet Crouse for sharing. Post fav cam screenshots of#BeiBei˜and Mei Xiang to our#PandaStory˜Flickr group. We'll share a great one each week! Keepers had a chance to weigh Bei Bei on Oct. 1. He now weighs 4.5 lbs. (2070g)?half a pound increase since he was...

Q: What do we call a giant panda cub sneeze? A: Bei Bei choo! #PandaStory #BeiBei @michelleobama @smithsonian ​ Q: What do we call a giant panda cub sneeze? A: Bei Bei choo! #PandaStory #BeiBei @michelleobama @smithsonian A video posted by Smithsonian's National Zoo (@smithsonianzoo) on Sep 29, 2015...

This morning, our giant panda cub received his name: Bei Bei or 贝贝 (BAY-BAY)! Bei Bei means "precious, treasure" in Mandarin Chinese and is complementary to his sister's name, Bao Bao. In celebration of the state visit and as a special honor for the cub, the name was selected by First Lady of the...

When Mei Xiang left her den to eat on Sept. 21, keepers took the opportunity to get the latest weight on our not-so-little-anymore giant panda cub. At 4.5 weeks old, the cub weighs 2.95 pounds (1,139 grams). He has now surpassed both of his older siblings in size when they were the same age: Bao Bao...

Our panda cub scrapbook is growing as quickly as he is—and that's saying something. This is one of our favorite adorable moments from the panda cams this week. This snapshot was added to the #PandaStory Flickr group by user gkoo19681. Our panda cub scrapbook is growing as quickly as he is?and that's...

David M. Rubenstein has pledged a second $4.5 million gift to support our giant panda conservation and research program through the end of 2020. As a result, our scientists will be able to continue all the research they do related to giant pandas and the other species that share their habitat....