The National Zoo's Baby Panda Posed For Her First Official Photo Shoot
Late this summer, the National Zoo in Washington welcomed a baby panda named Bao Bao.
She didn't really resemble a panda right away. Days after her birth, the zoo posted a photo of the tiny, 4.8-ounce pink cub. "All signs are that we have a very healthy, active, vibrant cub," officials said at the time.
We didn't learn that Bao Bao was a girl until several weeks later. Her mom is National Zoo panda Mei Xiang, and a paternity test later revealed that her father is Tian Tian, the zoo's male panda.
Bao Bao took her first steps on November 19. It was adorable:
Now, nearly four months after her birth, Bao Bao has posed for her first official photo shoot, for Smithsonian Magazine. She's still tiny, but has the classic characteristics of a panda.
Here she is at 10 weeks:
Bao Bao, was the result of artificial insemination. Here, she is examined by two zoo keepers:
At 10 weeks old, she weighed 7.7 pounds, according to Smithsonian Magazine. But she was about the size of a stick of butter when she was born.
