Zoo Reveals Gender Of Panda Cub
Bai Yun Gave Birth To Unnamed Cub On July 29
(Photo courtesy: Maria Bernal-Silva/SD Zoo)
Posted: 09/06/2012
Last Updated:
255 days ago
The San Diego Zoo announced Thursday that the giant panda born July 29 is male, ending a five-week gender mystery.
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Animal care staff have only been able to examine the unnamed cub a few times since his birth, and have mostly viewed him over a camera set up in the den he shares with his mother, Bai Yun.Veterinarian Meg Sutherland Smith gave him his third examination Thursday, determined he was male and found that he weighed a full pound more than he did last week. He is now up to 3.2 pounds.He weighs less than Bai Yun's previous cubs at that age, but the zoo said all indications are that he is healthy.The endangered pandas are loaned by China to zoos in the U.S. for research purposes, and their native country can request that offspring be returned after they turn 3 years old. This cub is Bai Yun's sixth.Zoo officials also said they will soon announce details for the public to help name the cub, which can be seen online at sandiegozoo.org/pandacam.Zoo officials believe there are only 1,600 pandas left in the wild.Copyright Do you have more information about this story? Click here to contact usCopyright 2012 by City News Service. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.