SAN DIEGO (CNS) - Xiao Liwu, the 15-week-old giant panda cub at the San Diego Zoo, has four teeth that broke through his gums, veterinarians said Thursday after the cub's weekly examination.
The cub, who was given the name that means "Little Gift" on Tuesday, now weighs 10.3 pounds and is 25.1 inches long. He was also becoming more comfortable with animal care staff and crawled into their laps during the exam, according to the zoo.
"He's very interested in his caretakers, which is a very good sign," Senior Veterinarian P.K. Robbins said. "He's very comfortable with them and confident in their company and seeks them out. This really bodes well for the
future as far as interactions with him, for behaviors, for training, for any sort of studies we will want to do with him... he seems very cooperative."
Xaio Liwu was born on July 29 to a female panda named Bai Yun, which means "white cloud," and a male named Gao Gao, which means "big big." He is Bai Yun's sixth cub and her fifth with Gao Gao, zoo officials said.
The zoo's giant pandas are on a research loan from the People's Republic of China. As part of the long-term program, the zoo was collaborating with the Chinese Academy of Science on studies of behavior, ecology, genetics and conservation of wild pandas living in the Foping Nature Reserve.
Conservation groups list the giant panda as endangered, and the zoo estimates that only about 1,600 are left in the wild.
