Xiao Qi Ji (SHIAU-chi-ji), the almost four-month-old giant panda cub at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo, showed off his new moves in the first video of 2021, cheering up viewers.
The baby panda, which was born in August at the National Zoo, is growing day by day in front of a large audience that gets to observe every stage of his development through the panda cam and the zoo’s regular updates.
In a new video shared by the National Zoo, the first panda footage released in the new year, the cub explores its indoor habitat, climbs up rockwork and gets some love from his mom Mei Xiang (may-SHONG), who watches over him the whole time.
🐼 Giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji continues to explore & take on new challenges—like climbing up rockwork in the indoor habitat he shares with mom Mei Xiang. He’s getting stronger, more coordinated & 💯 still an adorable little nugget. 😍 #PandaStory pic.twitter.com/AXcb253ABX
— National Zoo (@NationalZoo) January 1, 2021
Xiao Qi Ji got this special name — which means “little miracle” in Mandarin Chinese — as the result of an online poll on November 23. Approximately 135,000 people voted to name the panda cub for five days.
“Giant pandas are an international symbol of endangered wildlife and hope, and Xiao Qi Ji’s birth offered the world a much-needed moment of joy amidst the COVID-19 pandemic,” the zoo said in a statement announcing the selected name. “His name reflects the extraordinary circumstances under which he was born and celebrates the collaboration between colleagues who strive to conserve this species.”
Xiao Qi Ji was born on August 21 at the David M. Rubenstein Family Giant Panda Habitat, after his mother Mei Xiang was artificially inseminated in March 2020 by a team of reproductive scientists at the zoo.
His birth was live-streamed on the zoo’s Giant Panda Cam, which is accessible on the zoo’s website. More than 1.5 million people have viewed him on the Panda Cam since then.
The zoo’s doors are temporarily closed to visitors, along with the other Smithsonian facilities, as part of efforts to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.
But panda enthusiasts can continue following updates on Xiao Qi Ji on the zoo’s website, on social media under the hashtags #PandaStory and #PandaCubdates and in the Giant Panda e-newsletter.
The zoo also shared on its website “8 Aww-Inspiring Videos of the Year’s Best Animal and Conservation Stories” as it bade farewell to 2020.
National Zoo’s Beloved Panda Cub Finally Gets Name via Public Vote