Grow, Baby, Grow!

The giant panda cub that was born at the San Diego Zoo in July is pushing five pounds! Considering the many unsuccessful attempts that have been made to breed pandas in captivity, every pound this little one gains is cause for celebration. 

Week-old panda cub at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in China. Photo by Colegota and post-processed with The GIMP [CC-BY-SA-2.5-es] / Wikimedia Commons

It sounds like his momma, Bai Yun, is doing a beautiful job caring for her cub. Let's hear it for maternal instinct! According to zoo officials, she has even started taking the little fellow out of the den when she needs a bite of bamboo.

This pint-sized panda epitomizes the value of captive breeding, which has been responsible for saving endangered animals from extinction and reintroducing many species to the wild.

Keep your ears open in November when the cub's name will be revealed. The zoo is waiting until he reaches 100 days old in keeping with Chinese tradition.