Adorable Baby Pic Alert: National Zoo Releases First Photo of Newborn Giant Panda

The National Zoo on Sunday released the first official photo of the giant panda cub that was born on Friday evening to Mei Xiang. It also announced some good news from the Panda Team after the baby bear’s first neonatal exam: “The cub is robust, fully formed and is a bright, healthy shade of pink.”

There was more encouraging information: “The heart rate is steady, and vets were able to hear breathing sounds from both lungs. The cub is nursing and digesting successfully. It had a full belly at the time of the exam. Keepers and veterinarians report that the cub is healthy, active and vibrant.” They don’t know the sex yet or the paternity. At the time of the exam, the cub weighed 137 grams, which is just under 5 ounces.

The results of the neonatal exam were particularly heartening following word Saturday night that Mei Xiang had given birth to a second cub that was stillborn.

Carol Ross Joynt