WASHINGTON -- The Smithsonian National Zoo announced Thursday that the giant panda cub born there two weeks ago is a girl, is very chatty and "has a fat little belly."
Scientists confirmed the sex of the cub, which was born to Mei Xiang (pronounced may-SHONG) on Aug. 23, according to a news release.
DNA tests also showed that the zoo's panda Tian Tian (t-YEN t-YEN) is the father of the cub. Mei Xiang was artificially inseminated twice in late March, with sperm from Tian Tian and from a panda named Gao Gao at the San Diego Zoo, after unsuccessful natural breeding attempts with Tian Tian.
The National Zoo said on Twitter that giant panda cubs traditionally are not named until they are 100 days old. It also said that the cub "has a fat little belly" and is very vocal, according to a senior curator, Brandie Smith.
