It’s a Boy! Smithsonian’s National Zoo Announces Panda’s Gender

Posted By : The Animal Facts Editorial Team

Date: October 6, 2020 6:22 pm

The panda cub has been announced as a male

Photo Credit: Smithsonian’s National Zoo

The Smithsonian National Zoo has announced that their giant panda is a male. The gender of the six week old cub was determined as male by Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) scientists.

Keepers obtained a cheek swab during a veterinary exam on September 19th. As cubs appear similar at birth the most exact way to determine their gender is to conduct a DNA analysis.

To announce the birth of the cub keepers enlisted an artist to create a painting demonstrating the gender. This artist was the cub’s father Tian Tian who created a painting from blue paint.

Vets conducted another health exam on October 1st 2020 and once again confirmed the cub is healthy. He currently weighs 3.6lbs (1.6kg) and measures 14in (35.7in) long. Both of the cubs eyes are beginning to open.

The cub is an exciting achievement for the breeding program at the Smithsonian National Zoo. Mei Xiang is the oldest panda to have given birth in the United States and the second oldest documented mother in the world. Mei Xiang is currently 22 years old.

The painting created by the cubs dad, Tian Tian

Photo Credit: Smithsonian’s National Zoo

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This is Mexi Xiang’s fourth surviving cub with the others having returned to China.

This is also the first time a successful cub has been born using only frozen semen for the artificial insemination process. This semen came from Tian Tian the resident male at the Smithsonian National Zoo.

Currently the panda house at the David M. Rubenstein Family Giant Panda Habitat is closed while Mei Xiang raises her cub.

Learn more about giant pandas – Giant Panda Fact File | The Animal Facts

Learn more about the Smithsonian’s National Zoo on their website – Smithsonian’s National Zoo