First panda born in U.S. this year 'progressing well,' 'in great shape'
December 2nd, 2010
11:52 AM ET

First panda born in U.S. this year 'progressing well,' 'in great shape'

The newborn panda at Zoo Atlanta was given a clean bill of health Thursday.

“He looks great and is progressing well for this stage in his one month long life,” said Dr. Hayley Murphy, director of veterinary services for Zoo Atlanta.

The unnamed cub is the only giant panda to be born in the U.S. in 2010.

He weighed in Thursday at 2.2 pounds and is 13.7 inches long from the tip of his nose to the end of his tail. He has a full coat of hair and continues to nurse with his 13-year old mother Lun Lun in their den.

“His mother is taking great care of him and has great maternal instincts,” said Murphy. “We checked his vital signs this morning and discovered that he’s in great shape, eating well and is an average size for a panda of his age.”

The veterinary team removes him once a week from Lun Lun for a check-up. Round-the-clock monitoring also occurs through a video surveillance at the zoo.

The newborn is the third offspring for Lun Lun and his 13-year-old father Yang Yang. All three births have been the products of artificial insemination.

Following a Chinese tradition, panda cubs are not named until they are 100 days old. The zoo plans to soon announce an event surrounding the naming of the panda.

The newborn will not be on display for the general public until Spring of 2011. Until then, panda fans can watch him online on Zoo Atlanta’s PandaCam.

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Filed under: Animals
soundoff (58 Responses)
  1. cookie monster

    this is soooooo CUTE 2 c this cute panda bear

    December 2, 2010 at 4:29 pm | Report abuse |
  2. Veritas

    Wonderful news for sure. i love panda bears.

    December 2, 2010 at 4:35 pm | Report abuse |
  3. eiruhfgiq8yef8r9fgvj

    PANDAS ARE SO CUTEEEEEEE=) Im a panda freak!!!!!

    December 2, 2010 at 4:46 pm | Report abuse |
    • eiruhfgiq8yef8r9fgvj

      i love pandas

      December 2, 2010 at 4:47 pm | Report abuse |
  4. Cieje Valentine

    I'd call the little guy Genma, as a reference to my favorite anime'.

    December 2, 2010 at 5:44 pm | Report abuse |
  5. shykira lassiter

    aaaaaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwwwww tht panda is so cute i wish i had one

    December 2, 2010 at 5:52 pm | Report abuse |
  6. Clem&Jethro

    When duz panda seezon start Clem?

    December 2, 2010 at 5:55 pm | Report abuse |
  7. imawesome

    I totally agree with eiruhfgiq8yef8r9fqvj! btw why is ur name like that????? did ur parents name u that haha WOW.

    December 2, 2010 at 5:58 pm | Report abuse |
  8. imawesome

    I AM AWESOME!!!

    December 2, 2010 at 5:59 pm | Report abuse |
  9. ori

    They Are Cute And Lovable Aaaawwwwwwpet Him For Me!!!

    December 3, 2010 at 2:03 am | Report abuse |
  10. Cesar

    @Cait. That's right, a story easy on the heart. Saw your pic. Looks to me like your sucking on a straw. I guess that's a chocolate shake?

    December 5, 2010 at 9:29 pm | Report abuse |
  11. Gi Gi

    Should be called Po Po just like his parents' names, Lun Lun & Yang Yang in a friendly rhyming tone. Po means treasure. So he is a treasure for all people and children.

    February 15, 2011 at 12:45 pm | Report abuse |
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