Pandas Gallery

San Diego Zoo
It – the adorable new panda cub at the zoo – is a "she."
SAN DIEGO – Order up the pink bows. San Diego Zoo veterinarians say their six-week-old giant panda cub is a girl.

The cub, which now weighs about 4 pounds, is the third female giant panda born at the zoo. The first was Hua Mei in 1999 and Su Lin in 2005. A male cub, Mei Sheng, was born in 2003.

The cub is healthy, vets said.

“She is developing right along schedule,” said the zoo's Meg Sutherland-Smith. “She's becoming more animated. She was vocalizing more than she did in the first exam.”


Officials said the cub is losing her baby fuzz and getting the panda's hallmark white-and-black adult panda coat.
Following Chinese tradition, the new panda will receive a name after she is 100 days old. Zoo officials hasn't said how they will chose the name.

In 2005, zoo officials allowed the public to vote, and the most popular moniker won.