Baby Panda Born at the National Zoo

A baby panda was born on September 16 at Washington, D.C.’s National Zoo. The new baby is about as long as an adult’s hand, and only weighs about a quarter of a pound. Panda babies are pink when they are born–they don’t look like adult pandas at all! No one knows if the baby is a male or female yet, but the zoo will be able to tell in about a month. The new cub will receive a name when it is 100 days old, following the Chinese custom.

The last panda baby born at the zoo was named Tai Shan, seen in the picture above.

Read more about the baby panda at the National Zoo website.

Get the facts on giant pandas in the Creature Feature.

Photograph by Manuel Balce Ceneta, AP