National Zoo: It's a (Giant Panda) Boy!
2020-10-07
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1The Smithsonian National Zoo has confirmed that its six-week old giant panda is a male.
2he finding was announced on a zoo video earlier this week.
3Panda-keepers showed a painting in blue made by the baby's father, Tian Tian.
4Blue is a color culturally linked to baby boys in the United States and many other places.
5For baby girls, the color is pink.
6The giant panda was born August 21.
7Male and female giant pandas look very similar when young, so the zoo did a genetic test to learn the sex of the newborn.
8The panda cub does not yet have a name.
9The zoo usually waits until giant pandas are 100 days old to give them a name.
10The baby was born pink and almost hairless.
11At the time, the zoo said the newborn was about the size of a stick of butter -- about 12 centimeters long and weighing 110 grams.
12Now, he is more black and white in coloring. And he has grown quickly.
13He measures about 35 centimeters long and weighs about 1.6 kilograms.
14His mother Mei Xiang is much bigger --- weighing about 105 kilograms.
15The birth was welcomed as rare, happy news during the COVID-19 health crisis, which forced the zoo to close for several months.
16After Mei Xiang's pregnancy was announced in August, internet traffic on the zoo's popular Panda live video feed increased by 1,200 percent, zoo officials said.
17When the baby was born about a week later, traffic went so high that the video connection broke for many watchers.
18Zoo officials had to add bandwidth as a result.
19"Something like this is kind of a miracle for us," National Zoo Director Steve Monfort said at the time.
20"It lifts the spirits of my team and the whole world."
21For now, the Panda-cam is still the only way the public can see the pandas.
22The zoo reopened in a limited way on July 24. But the panda house remains closed to visitors.
23Mei Xiang, at age 22, is the oldest giant panda to successfully give birth in the United States.
24The oldest panda in the world to give birth was 23 at the time and in China.
25Mei Xiang is mother to three other young, Tai Shan, Bao Bao and Bei Bei.
26They went to live in China at age four, under an agreement between China and the United States.
27I'm Caty Weaver.
1The Smithsonian National Zoo has confirmed that its six-week old giant panda is a male. 2he finding was announced on a zoo video earlier this week. Panda-keepers showed a painting in blue made by the baby's father, Tian Tian. Blue is a color culturally linked to baby boys in the United States and many other places. For baby girls, the color is pink. 3The giant panda was born August 21. Male and female giant pandas look very similar when young, so the zoo did a genetic test to learn the sex of the newborn. 4The panda cub does not yet have a name. The zoo usually waits until giant pandas are 100 days old to give them a name. 5The baby was born pink and almost hairless. At the time, the zoo said the newborn was about the size of a stick of butter -- about 12 centimeters long and weighing 110 grams. Now, he is more black and white in coloring. And he has grown quickly. He measures about 35 centimeters long and weighs about 1.6 kilograms. 6His mother Mei Xiang is much bigger --- weighing about 105 kilograms. 7The birth was welcomed as rare, happy news during the COVID-19 health crisis, which forced the zoo to close for several months. 8After Mei Xiang's pregnancy was announced in August, internet traffic on the zoo's popular Panda live video feed increased by 1,200 percent, zoo officials said. When the baby was born about a week later, traffic went so high that the video connection broke for many watchers. Zoo officials had to add bandwidth as a result. 9"Something like this is kind of a miracle for us," National Zoo Director Steve Monfort said at the time. "It lifts the spirits of my team and the whole world." 10For now, the Panda-cam is still the only way the public can see the pandas. The zoo reopened in a limited way on July 24. But the panda house remains closed to visitors. 11Mei Xiang, at age 22, is the oldest giant panda to successfully give birth in the United States. The oldest panda in the world to give birth was 23 at the time and in China. 12Mei Xiang is mother to three other young, Tai Shan, Bao Bao and Bei Bei. They went to live in China at age four, under an agreement between China and the United States. 13I'm Caty Weaver. 14The Associated Press reported this story. Caty Weaver adapted it for VOA Learning English. Ashley Thompson was the editor. 15_________________________________________________ 16Words in This Story 17cub -n. a young animal that eats meat 18butter -n. a solid yellow substance made from milk or cream that is spread on food or used in cooking 19bandwidth -n. a measurement of the ability of an electronic communications device or system (such as a computer network) to send and receive information 20miracle -n. a very amazing or unusual event, thing, or achievement 21We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.