Giant panda cub 'packing on the pounds,' says US zoo

WASHINGTON -- The August-born male giant panda cub is "packing on the pounds," the Smithsonian's National Zoo said here Thursday.

The latest exam showed the cub weighed 2.07 kg, nearly a pound (0.45 kg) more than last week, while it measured 15 inches (about 38.1 cm) from nose to tail tip, according to an update by Laurie Thompson, assistant curator of giant pandas.

The cub, described as "plump" by Thompson, also added an entire inch around his midsection. His abdominal girth measured 12.5 inches (31.75 cm) on Sept. 30, and increased to 13.7 inches (34.80 cm) as of Wednesday.

"All in all, we are happy that our cub is making good gains, and his growth and development are right on track," the curator wrote, adding that she is looking forward to him taking the first steps in the next few weeks.

Mother Mei Xiang, 22, gave birth to the cub on Aug 21, the seventh since she and male giant panda Tian Tian began living in the zoo in 2000. Three of her cubs have survived to adulthood and moved to China when they were four years old.

Part of the renowned Smithsonian Institution, the National Zoo, located in northwestern Washington, DC, has a decades-long partnership with Chinese scientists and curators on conserving giant pandas.