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National Zoo Invites Panda Enthusiasts to Help Dub the Cub
Lisa Stevens, left, Dr. Suzan Murray and Dr. Sharon Deem inspect the panda cub during its third examination.
(Laurie Perry - Smithsonian's National Zoo)
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Barely hours into the contest yesterday, more than 4,300 people had logged on to vote, FONZ officials said.
The cub is the offspring of father Tian Tian and mother Mei Xiang, who was artificially inseminated. The panda parents have been in Washington since late 2000 under a 10-year, $10 million loan agreement with China. Their cub will be sent to China when he is 2.
FONZ said it will randomly select one voter in the naming contest to receive a trip for two to Washington for a "private visit" with the giant panda family and other prizes.
FONZ's other contest, called "Pennies for Pandas," is for children who create successful campaigns to raise money for the zoo's Giant Panda Conservation Fund. Two winning entries will be selected in each of two age groups, 6 to 10 and 11 to 14, based on the campaign that raises the most money and the campaign deemed most creative.
Each of the four winners will receive a trip for four to Washington for a private tour of the Panda House as well as other prizes.
The cub's name and the winners of both contests will be announced in October.
To vote in the panda naming contest, go to the zoo/FONZ Web site at http:/
An entry form and more information about the fundraising contest are available at http:/
The panda cub is 47 days old today. At his last exam, Aug. 18, he weighed 4.2 pounds and was 17 inches long.
The National Zoo's quest to breed a giant panda has been a three-decade struggle.
The animal park's previous panda pair, Ling-Ling and Hsing-Hsing, a gift from China in 1972, had five cubs during the 1980s, but none lived more than a few days.
The Panda House is closed at least until October to avoid disturbing mother and baby, although visitors can still see Tian Tian in his yard when he is outside.
The zoo provides daily updates on mother and cub and round-the-clock webcam coverage at its Web site.
Yesterday's report noted that the cub has been seen turning from his back onto his belly -- and is using his tiny hind legs to "push up closer to Mei."
