“Bei Bei is Getting Feisty” and Don’t Forget Bao Bao

via Smithsonian’s National Zoo

From the National Zoo:

“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 pressure points at the base of his skull.

On October 12, keepers obtained an updated weight on Bei Bei. He is now 6.38 pounds!

Mei Xiang has begun spending time outside during the day. She is eager to go out first thing in the morning to eat and usually returns inside after 20-30 minutes. Some days she also goes outside for 20-30 minutes in the afternoon. Mei Xiang will gradually increase the time she spends outside over the next few weeks and months. She has even recently started bringing Bei Bei out of the den and into her larger indoor enclosurefor brief outings. When Mei Xiang brings Bei Bei outside the den, the door to her outdoor exhibit remains closed to prevent her from bringing him outside before he is fully vaccinated.

Bao Bao Update

Bao Bao has been rotating through mom Mei Xiang’s and dad Tian Tian’s yards also for a change of scenery. Giant pandas are solitary in the wild, so she is not interacting with her parents directly. But, it’s very enriching for Bao Bao to engage with the smells and surroundings in her parents’ yards. According to keepers, she seems to enjoy the variety of trees for climbing! Yesterday Bao Bao participated in her first routine veterinary blood draw. She sat in the training chute, just like her parents do, extended her arm into the blood draw sleeve, and held still while vets collected the sample. According to her keepers, she did very well and got a honey water treat for choosing to participate in the checkup.”