Panda Cub at Smithsonian’s National Zoo Plays with a Pumpkin

Posted By : The Animal Facts Editorial Team

Date: November 4, 2020 3:30 am

The 10 week old giant panda cub with his pumpkin

Photo Credit: Smithsonian’s National Zoo

Halloween might be over but that didn’t stop the giant panda family, including the 2 month old cub, at Smithsonian’s National Zoo getting in on the action.

The zoo’s nutritionists created some not-so-spooky “snack-o-lantern” treats for mom and dad, Mei Xiang and Tian Tian. These snack-o-lanterns were made from shredded carrots, applesauce and diluted apple juice pressed into a pumpkin using a Jack-O-Lantern-shaped mold.

The 10 week old giant panda cub with his pumpkin

Photo Credit: Smithsonian’s National Zoo

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Their 10 week old cub was also presented a pumpkin creating the adorable photos shown here. Animals at the zoo are given pumpkins as enrichment which is an object that gives these animals something new to smell, touch and investigate.

As well as the excitement of pumpkins for Halloween the cub has also gone on an adventure out of the den this week. Around 2am on Saturday Mei Xiang carried the cub out to the rockwork in the enclosure. This rockwork has a flat area which keeps the cub contained and keepers known is as the ‘playspace.’

Both mom and cub spent an hour and forty minutes here before they fell asleep for a nap.

The panda cub during his last health check

Photo Credit: Smithsonian’s National Zoo

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

Learn more about Smithsonian’s National Zoo here – Smithsonian’s National Zoo