Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
WASHINGTON (AP) - The National Zoo says panda cub Bao Bao (bow bow) is growing just as she should be.
The Associated Press got an up-close look Tuesday at the nearly 5-month-old cub born in Washington. Bao Bao weighs about 17.4 pounds and measures 52 centimeters from head to tail. She is wider in the middle at 63 centimeters around her belly. All normal, according to panda statistics.
Animal keepers have been preparing Bao Bao for a crowd of fans expected for her public debut later this month. While she still sleeps about half the day, the cub has become more active. She spends time crawling, climbing rocks and following her mother, Mei Xiang (may-shong). Curators say she has an easygoing temperament.
Bao Bao will make her public debut Jan. 18.
(Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
