FUNNY FACT: It tickles us that the most famous animal at the San Diego Zoo right now can't actually be seen by visitors. We're talking about Bai Yun's cub, of course, which is still sharing a private den with its mother and will be for some time to come. But that hasn't stopped the world from cooing over the panda cub's first exam, which it did last week, or the Facebook and other social media sites from lighting up with cub-cute images. Doctors and zoo staff are keeping a hands-off approach while the nearly five-week-old cub stays with its mother, but it did just receive its second exam on Thursday, Aug. 30, and we can't not post it. We know, we know, we posted the first exam last week, but things have changed; the cub is notably bigger. Substantially bigger, actually; it went from a smidge over a pound and a half to 2.2 pounds. That's some healthy eating, though some of its size in the video might be attributed to the fact that it arrived at the exam with a very full belly, having recently nursed. And it seems more comfortable with human touch. (This is interesting: Staffers have been visiting the cub in its den, when the mother steps out, to stroke it and make it feel more comfortable in advance of its exams.) Of course, we keep saying "its" here, and not "he" or "she," meaning that the sex has not yet been determined and no name given.
For what's happening at the animal park on this holiday weekend, and the animals you can see, check out the San Diego Zoo site.
