It's a…
Posted at 2:19 pm August 24, 2005 by Pamela CroweGirl! I know our many panda fanatics have been waiting patiently for the news about the sex of our new little cub. Well, finally during today's second exam, the veterinarians were able to confirm that the newest addition to our panda family is in fact a female. Our veterinary staff had suspicions during the cub's first exam last week, but chose to wait one more week to get a second look as the cub continues to develop. Our new little female is growing quickly"¦gaining about 9 ounces (255 grams) per week. At already 3 weeks old she is healthy and weighing in at almost 22 ounces (618 grams).
So spread the wonderful news"¦It's a girl!
Pamela Crowe is a panda researcher for the Zoo's Offices of Giant Panda Conservation.
View Bai Yun and her cub on Panda Cam
See our slideshow images of the second exam
See video of the cub's second exam
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August 24th, 2005 at 2:23 pm
Fabulous!!! 2 new babies. One boy, one girl!!!!!
I have watched Mei Xiang and her boy and now Bai Yun and her little girl since the births. What a joy to see them all thriving. I envy you all.
August 24th, 2005 at 2:30 pm
A GIRL!!! How wonderful! I've been keeping up with the baby boy in Washington, D.C. also, and it will be so much fun to see how the two grow together. Thanks for the regular updates and the panda cam - it's almost like being right there!
August 24th, 2005 at 2:56 pm
I had a feeling it would be a girl. So exciting! Even though the two cubs from San Diego and Wash. D.C. are slightly related maybe they could get together and make some more cute panda babies. Thanks for all the updates.
August 24th, 2005 at 2:59 pm
YEA!!! I'm so happy we have a new little Girl!!!! I was looking closely at a picture of her from this morning and it looks like the baby doesn't have boy parts! I am glad Mei Sheng has another sister. I just wish they were closer in age so we can witness them play together. Hopefully Bai Yun will have twins in the future so we can see two babies grow up together. A little girl! I'm so proud of Bai Yun and Gao Gao!
August 24th, 2005 at 3:01 pm
Awwwww it's a Girl !!! My son and I have been waiting for news if the cub was a boy or girl. We are so excited and can't wait to see the baby in your exhibit. Fortunately for us we live in San Diego and go to the Zoo quite often to see the Pandas. Is there a… at this month of age the baby will be out in the exhibit ? We would love to come see her on her first days out so could you please let us know when we can come see her!
Thank you for all your hard work and dedication, you do make everyone watching and reading everyday feel like we are * a part* of this wonderful experience and you are very appreciated. Hugs to you all!!
August 24th, 2005 at 3:04 pm
A girl, terrific! My husband and I lived for many years in San Diego before we moved to Salem, Oregon in July of 2000. While still in San Diego I became a pandacam fanatic - and watched the growth and development of Hua Mei. What a wonderful experience to see it happening all over again - this time watching the pandcams on both coasts from the Pacific Northwest. Thanks San Diego Zoo for sharing this with all of us. We now have even more incentive for a visit back to our home town!
August 24th, 2005 at 3:32 pm
Yay! It's a girl!!
I'm so excited…hugs to Bai Yun, Gao Gao and all 3 of their wonderful babies. I had hoped it would be a girl because I had missed watching Hua Mei grow up…this is awesome! Can't wait to watch this little girl (and the little guy in D.C.) thrive and grow. Thanks for releasing the news so promptly. You rock!
August 24th, 2005 at 3:47 pm
Yes! I just knew it! When you said the baby was a bit calmer and didn't do as much squawking as Mei Sheng, I figured it had to be a girl
I am planning my first trip to the west coast to celebrate her first birthday!
August 24th, 2005 at 4:08 pm
I'll start knitting little black and pink booties and hats right away!! Just kidding… but glad to hear that we have a new little girl! I'm so proud of everyone at the San Diego Zoo and their dedication to these amazing animals - congratulations!!
August 24th, 2005 at 4:08 pm
I knew it was a girl!!! I cannot wait to visit your zoo next year for the first time and see her. I have a picture that I ordered from the shop zoo of Mei Sheng as a baby that proudly hangs on our bathroom wall. I hope to hang a picture of his sister next to his. Watching the Panda cam puts me in a good mood no matter what else is going on in my day. Congratulations Bai Yun–you are a great mother!
August 24th, 2005 at 4:10 pm
Oh I just knew it was a GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks for the great news!!!!
Kept watching and waiting all day!!!!
How exciting!!! I feel like I never get much done , esp watching 2 baby cubs on live cam. So addicting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Keep up the great work!
August 24th, 2005 at 4:20 pm
YAY!!!!! I am so happy it is a girl! I just knew it would be. Now we have one of each to watch on the panda cams. I can hardly wait to see her when I go to San Diego. You guys are awesome. Hopefully when I go to China one day to the Wolong preserve I can see Hua Mei too.
August 24th, 2005 at 4:26 pm
I'm so excited it's a girl. Thanks for the great video, she is so cute. Your staff is doing a wonderful job!!
August 24th, 2005 at 4:43 pm
I'm so happy sweet little baby girl! I'll call you Mei Yun ( Mei Sheng's sister and Bai Yun's daughter). You will help to increase the pandas' population. It will be great to see you and the D.C.'s little boy growing up and know the difference between male and female cub's behavior. Elisa (from Brazil)
August 24th, 2005 at 5:04 pm
SHE'S SO PRECIOUS…IT LOOKS LIKE SHE HAS A VEST ON FROM THE BACK..THE WAY THE FUR ON HER BACK FORMED…GREAT JOB MOM! I STILL LOOK AT ALL OF THIS IN AWE. DIDN'T THINK OF THE CAM IN D.C….SO I LINKED IT TO MY FAVORITES TODAY…YOU'RE BOTH ADORABLE BABIES..KEEP ON GROWING!!!!
August 24th, 2005 at 5:38 pm
I was hoping for a girl, because, she can grow up and have girls and they can grow up and have girls etc. etc. etc. Viva la Panda!
August 24th, 2005 at 6:55 pm
I had a feeling it was a girl. Watching both babies grow, the girl seemed to be more advanced which follows most species. Thanks for sharing the cams so we can watch her grow.
August 24th, 2005 at 6:57 pm
Just got home and am so happy to learn that She's a she. It really didn't matter to me because the cub seems to be so healthy and that is really what matters. Hope she continues to grow and develop and adds to the growing number of successes for the Panda Teams. Jeanine
August 24th, 2005 at 8:07 pm
According to the data listed by a panda fanatic :
Mei Xiang's cub- 827g. and 30 cm. (24 days).
Mei Sheng - 539g. and 25.5cm. (23 days).
It is strange to note that Mei Sheng was so much lighter than Mei Xeng's cub of the same age with the same sex; does it mean anything to you researchers ?
August 24th, 2005 at 8:29 pm
Since this sweet baby girl and the National Zoo's cub are cousins, I suppose a future romance is out of the question. But it would be really cool if the two could meet and play together. Is such a thing possible? Panda fans in Tennessee really want to know.
August 24th, 2005 at 8:37 pm
I'm so pleased we have both a girl and boy panda to watch on webcams as they grow and develop. Congratulations San Diego Zoo on your new baby girl!
August 24th, 2005 at 8:43 pm
I've been calling the little D.C. fella " Ursa Minor," so I chuckled when I read that someone has named your little girl " Mei Yun." Panda fans rock.
August 24th, 2005 at 9:24 pm
I am so happy that it is a baby girl. She seems very quiet during the second exam. Hope she will be happy and healthy.
August 24th, 2005 at 9:28 pm
Hello, little girl!! I came from your home country and am glad to see there are so many people aroung the world who love you just like I do. Pandas have always been my favorite!! I went to the Beijing Zoo regularly since I was a little girl. It's wonderful that I can visit pandas often here in San Diego. God bless you all, panda team!!
August 24th, 2005 at 11:17 pm
Yay it 's a girl! I sort of knew it would be a girl when she didn't complain too much when she had her examinations!! lol She is so cute it must be hard to return her to her mum, I would just want to cuddle her! lol Great work you are all doing there…congratulations to you all!
August 25th, 2005 at 12:52 am
After these weeks looking at the cub, I'm happy to learn that it's a healthy girl…. In fact, it was too quiet to be a boy :)…
August 25th, 2005 at 2:03 am
I knew it! I am so excited….after I read the news I ran down the stairs to share it with my husband….He thinks I am obsessed…..I say who isn't?
August 25th, 2005 at 2:18 am
I wanted to thank you so much for allowing people to view Bai Yun and her cub at any time of the day or night. Here in the UK at present it is just past 11.20 a.m. but where you guys are it is past 3 a.m. in the morning. I feel so privileged to be able to view the mother and her daughter cub and have been taking sneaky looks whenever I can. Thank you so much
Helen UK.
August 25th, 2005 at 3:40 am
Oh my Gosh!!! I was so excited to hear Bai Yuns' little bundle of joy was a girl! She is soooo precious! I was taken by how healthy she looks.. Bai Yun really knows her stuff! What a great mom…Looks like I will be planning a trip to see the panda family in the near future! Would love to be part of your team someday? Will be retiring soon and would be interested in volunteering my time - tee hee…. Keep up the good work!
August 25th, 2005 at 3:57 am
Hurray:o) I was hoping for a little girl. I have tears in my eyes I'm so happy. What all of you there in S.D., as well as Washington, Atlanta, Tennessee, and China are doing for these darling animals is beyond words. Thank you all so much!
Congratulations mommy (and daddy) on your sweet little bundle (of pink)!!!!!!!!
Oh, and thanks for adding ounces, inches, etc. to the wee ones vitals for us metric illiterates:o)
Jeannie
August 25th, 2005 at 4:20 am
Hi Kevin, I wrote the blog about the babies' sizes.You asked about both, Mei Xiang's male cub and Mei Sheng, at the same age with the same sex, present a big difference in the weight and length. I'm only a fanatic, but I stayed at D.C. Zoo twice , and S.D. Zoo once. In my opinion, the couples in D.C. are bigger than Bai Yun and especially Gao Gao (he's very small) and so, like a human, Mei Sheng would look like his father and he was lighter than Mei Xiang's boy at the same age. Elisa from Brazil
August 25th, 2005 at 4:37 am
The Washington Post reported that the D.C.'s baby boy has come down to a choice of five names and the general public gets to make a final decision among these names.
What do you thing about it? I think it'll be great to vote on names suggested by China.
Thank you. Elisa
August 25th, 2005 at 4:49 am
Bai Yun seems much gentler than Mei Xiang at the National Zoo. Is it because she's older and more experienced?
August 25th, 2005 at 4:57 am
Yiippeeeeee!!!! A boy on the east coast and a girl on the west! Terrific news.
August 25th, 2005 at 5:10 am
Yay!!! A girl!!! I was SOOOOO bummed when I had to leave work yesterday without knowing!! (I don't have Internet at home). Imagine being bummed to leave work!
Thank you so much everyone for sharing all the video and pics with us.
August 25th, 2005 at 6:59 am
I have been watching your baby and also the little guy in Washington so much that my son thinks I should find out if there is a " pandaholics anonymous." It is so easy to get addicted to watching them both. I have been lucky enough to have seen all your pandas on my many trips to San Diego and am eagerly awaiting my next trip to see the new baby. Now just have to figure out how to get a trip to the Washington Zoo into my schedule.
August 25th, 2005 at 8:13 am
I am so happy the baby is a girl. It's fun to watch. Thanks for all the regular updates.
Sandra - Ontario, Canada
August 25th, 2005 at 8:36 am
Like so many other people, I was eagerly awaiting the news of the baby's gender yesterday. I was glued to my computer, and I kept refreshing the website every few minutes to see any updates. I'm so delighted to hear that it's a girl! Thank you Panda Team for taking such great care of these precious creatures and thank you also for maintaining this exciting website/blog. I am beyond addicted, beyond obsessed..I am crazy in love with these pandas!
August 25th, 2005 at 10:23 am
Wonderful news!! It's a girl! I was hoping for a girl like many of the other Panda fans. It looks like this baby belongs to the entire world. We all love her and wish her the best! Congrats to all!! :o)
August 25th, 2005 at 11:16 am
Yeah! It's a girl!!! Bai Yun is such a good mother! Her baby is really, really precious and special! I watch the videocam every day, sometimes 10-15 times to see how they are doing. Thank you for having such a wonderful Cam and a wonderful staff too! Kisses to the Pandas!
August 25th, 2005 at 11:29 am
Watching the pandas at both D.C. and S.D. is so addictive, I feel privileged to be able to do so. Thank you for your wonderful work, for giving us a peak into their lives and for sharing your thoughtful, heartfelt observations. Seeing all of this unfold with panda mothers and their newborn cubs reminds me every day about what is truly important. For a moment, watching the cubs helps us all forget about the tragic events around the world, and reminds me again of the generosity and love that mankind is so capable of - one could wish and dream that this would be enough to unite us all in peace.
August 25th, 2005 at 12:07 pm
I just knew this precious little one would be a girl! (I told you so, Uncle Mikey!–who also thinks I'm obsessed with watching panda cams now, and boy, is he right hehe). Thank you so much for the opportunity to watch both the Mom and little gal. The images we get are just priceless.
August 25th, 2005 at 12:19 pm
Yes!! It's a girl!! And what a cutie she is. I've been watching her since her birth, she is growing fast. The Little guy in D.C. I've also been watching and he's just as cute and growing fast as well. D.C.'s baby belongs to China from what I read on their site, and we will have to give him back when he's old enough. What about this baby– do we get to keep this one?
August 25th, 2005 at 12:53 pm
So happy to finally know it is a little girl. Just knew it had to be since she seems relatively mellow. Can't wait to see her in person. Thoroughly enjoy watching the Panda Cam. Thanks for providing all the information.
August 25th, 2005 at 1:19 pm
Yeah!!!! Like most of the others I've watched this little beauty from birth on the Panda Cam and just KNEW it was a girl. Hopefully you will have continued sucess with the Pandas and we as a society can see them thrive in the wild again. Thank you for your work.
August 25th, 2005 at 3:19 pm
The world welcomes you, little sweet girl.
And Mei Sheng is a older brother.
I hope this little girl and little boy of Washington D.C .will be pairs !!
Thank you, Bai Yun and Gao Gao, you gave us big big happiness.
August 25th, 2005 at 5:47 pm
Thank you Elisa. Perhaps you are right, Mei Sheng and this little girl may have inherited their father's small size.
The D.C. little boy has his eyes opened at the age of 47 days, let's see when this little girl will have her eyes opened.
August 25th, 2005 at 7:15 pm
Thanks to all of you for bringing us all the good news. I enjoy watching mom and baby. I now have many friends watching panda cam. Paula, Upland, Ca.
August 25th, 2005 at 8:16 pm
Yeaaaaaaa a beautiful baby girl!! I enjoy spending time watching both babies…it's amazing how much they have changed so quickly. I'm so glad to be able to watch and read about them on the sites, it's a real treat for panda fans everywhere!!
August 25th, 2005 at 11:34 pm
I have emailed before and I have watched this webcam for a few years now and it's given me so much enjoyment!! Now to see we have a boy in D.C. and a girl in San Diego is excellent!! Pandas really do rock!!! I am a true panda fan, my grandson even calls me Nanny Panda lol!!! I just love them so much!! God bless pandas!!!!
August 26th, 2005 at 3:27 am
Hi
I Would Like To Know If The New Baby Will Meet Mei Sheng Later On
Thanks Aliece
August 26th, 2005 at 5:22 am
I really didn't care whether it was a boy or a girl as I was just excited about a new baby panda. I really envy the Zoo personnel getting to be up close and personal with all this going on. Again, thanks for letting all of us share a part in this wonderful new baby thru the Panda Cams and the web blogs. You guys are awesome! Have a great day!
August 26th, 2005 at 6:13 am
Hello beautiful little girl.
Watching the baby and her Mama really cheers me up.
August 26th, 2005 at 9:02 am
Ron & I are so happy that the baby panda is healthy & apparently happy. A girl is great news for the future population of the pandas. Way to go Bai Hun and Gao Gao!
August 26th, 2005 at 9:55 am
Will Gao Gao ever get to see his offspring? Couldn't they be introduced through the " Howdy Door" ?
August 26th, 2005 at 9:56 am
So exactly what are the chances that the scientists at Wolong would allow our west coast gal and east coast guy to meet and mate? Watching them both is a daily activity. Imagine some people go birding. The rest of us go " panda-ing."
August 26th, 2005 at 11:15 am
Congratulations on your baby girl!! I had the pleasure of watching Mei Sheng in 2004 and took many captivating photos from the cam - I am also watching the baby boy in Washington and have been reading your Weblogs and comparing the mothers - Bai Yun certainly left the den quicker than the Washington mom! I make teddy bears and have just completed two pandas in celebration of the births - their names are Oolong and Ting-a-Ling. I view from Toronto and had the added bonus of watching Mei Sheng eating breakfast at 6 a.m. your time - My cat also watches the Panda Cam!!! Hugs to that darling baby girl.
August 26th, 2005 at 2:00 pm
I'm really enjoying the Panda cam. Are the baby's eyes open yet…? Can't really tell because of the black around the eyes.
August 27th, 2005 at 4:48 am
Our entire office keeps an eye on both the D.C. little boy and the San Diego little girl all day long (we get *some* work done..)! To say we're obsessed is an understatement!
You all are doing a wonderful job with these beautiful bears. Thank you so much for letting us into their world and keeping us updated so quickly each day.
August 27th, 2005 at 7:14 am
Today w/Karina on the loose,I, an American livng nr London,Egland, c hecked weather in sothern U.S and just happened o check Calif. glanced th San Diego Zoo site and what a THRILL to learn ofthe PANDA PRogram and I\ve been watching the cam closely. Good Luck, Norma
August 27th, 2005 at 2:05 pm
It's amazing to see how calm Bai Yun is compared to Mei Xiang in DC. Bai Yun seems to take things in stride and yet still able to give the care and love that the new cub needs.
August 27th, 2005 at 11:38 pm
I think both Bai Yun and Mei Xiang are great mothers. You have to remember that this is Bai yuns 3rd cub so she has more experiance! I think Mei Xiang in WD is doing fantastic too!!!For a first time mum shes amazing to watch.Like I said befor I love them all.You cannot fault their motherly instincts.
September 12th, 2005 at 6:11 am
This has been one of the most fantastic experiences in my life, almost! The panda webcam is the bomb. Pure genius, i'm lovin' it, love p. uk.