National Zoo’s Giant Panda cub now weighs two pounds, a sign that he is growing healthy and strong. The cub is the survivor of a set of twins that were born on August 22 at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo.
When he was brought into the world the Giant Panda cub was so small that zoo caretakers could not give him many surviving chances. The baby weighed less than 200 grams and was kept in a specially built enclosure to protect him of possible viruses. His twin brother was less lucky; he died four days after the birth, in spite of zoo keeper’s efforts to keep him alive.
According to the National Zoo’s declaration, the small cub died because he developed pneumonia from inhaling noxious food products. Medical experts tried to bring him back to life, but their six-hour efforts were in vain.
Fortunately, father Tian Tian and mother Mei Xiang still have one Giant Panda baby left to raise. The cub weighs approximately two pounds, which means he is healthy. This weight is absolutely normal for his four-week-old age, doctors have explained.
Mother Mei Xiang left the den multiple times in the past days, so experts could perform thorough checkups on the baby. They have further noticed that the cub has developed distinctive traits that make him a genuine Giant Panda.
More specifically, the black and white marks on his back have become increasingly visible. They have concluded that the cub looks more and more like his father, Tian Tian, whose back markers are also visible.
Zoo keepers are closely watching the Giant Panda cub to protect him of possible dangers. However, there are few things left to make, considering that the cub is sleeping the most part of the days. This is the favorite activity of Pandas, so veterinarians have nothing to worry about. They are eager to see the small zoo member open his eyes, which is due to take place in a few weeks’ time.
The small Panda baby has not been named, yet. Bao Bao, the other Giant Panda cub that was born within the National Zoo was named 100 days after her birth. Zoo representatives did not say whether the new baby will be named after 100 days, too, but they estimate that the cub will have his first public appearance in January 2016.
Image source: www.abclocal.go.com
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