The National Zoo's giant panda cub has doubled in length since his first examination two months ago and now measures 24.7 inches, the animal park's chief veterinarian said today.
The male cub got his seventh exam this morning, which found that he weighs 11.1 pounds. That compares with 1.82 pounds during his first exam Aug. 2. The cub was born July 9.
Suzan Murray, the zoo's chief veterinarian, said all signs looked good during the 14-minute exam. She said he barely reacted when she gave him his second vaccination against the canine distemper virus.
Murray said the cub appears nearly ready to begin moving around on all fours, which would be the next landmark in his development. Yesterday, he took a couple of stumbling steps only to fall over.
Today's exam was done before an audience in the Panda House that included Smithsonian Secretary Lawrence M. Small and several other high-level officials. The Panda House is closed to the public and zoo officials say they expect the cub to go on public display in November. The outside yard, however, is open and both adult pandas can sometimes be seen there.
Neither the cub nor his mother, Mei Xiang, who was in a different part of the Panda House, appeared alarmed during the exam, Murray said.
Today is the last day to participate in the contest to name the cub. His name will be unveiled during a ceremony on Oct. 17. The contest officially ends at 11:59 p.m. today. To vote, go to the zoo/Fonz's Web site .
The National Zoo's panda Mei Xiang gave birth