It's time for a baby panda thread. He's finally opened his eyes! Look:

[CottonBear]

Dr. Suzan Murray checks the cub's heart rate during the exam on Tuesday, Aug. 30. "His heart and lungs sound healthy," said Smithsonian's National Zoo on their Web site. The cub's muscles continue to develop every day. On Wednesday, Aug. 31, staff noted the cub "doing abdominal crunches as he works to move his body in a coordinated way." The following day, he was seen "rubbing his hind feet together and scratching his front leg with his back leg."


Dr. Suzan Murray, chief veterinarian at the Smithsonian's National Zoo, listens to the seven-week-old panda cub's heart rate during its fourth health exam on the morning of Tuesday, Aug. 30. The cub, born on July 9, weighed 6.2 pounds and measured 10 inches at the time of the exam. Murray and National Zoo staff said the cub looked healthy and robust, and was developing well. The National Zoo's three giant pandas live at the Zoo's Fujifilm Giant Panda Habitat.

http://animal.discovery.com/cams/pandavidr.html

[crispini]

1. OOooooooooooooooo soooo cuuuuuuuute!

Aww the widdle fuzzy wuggy!!! ADORABLE!

[CottonBear]

2. He is so cute and cuddly! I couldn't resist posting his latest picture.

We needed some baby panda pictures after all the hurricane horror.

I hope that all of the animals; wild, domestic and captive; in the path of Rita are going to be safe and OK.

[Lars39]

3. I just happened to catch him rise up on his hind legs & kinda walk

Poor little guy wore himself out and went right back to sleep. It's like watching furry paint dry. :D

[CottonBear]

5. Oh! I missed that. The picture caption says he's trying to get his legs

to work in a coordinated fashion!

[Lars39]

7. From what I saw earlier today, it won't be long. :^)

[Beaverhausen]

4. Don't forget the baby panda at the San Diego zoo

Warning: this link opens up to photos and a streaming video.
Her eyes are opening too!

http://sandiegozoo.org/news/panda_news.html

[CottonBear]

8. Thanks! I'd sort of forgotten about both of them over the last few weeks.

My in-laws had to evacuate from the hurricane zone :(, I got sick and Mr. CB got laid off before the hurricane :( (he has a really great new job now) and my good friend had a stroke. I wasn't thinking about pandas!

[Beaverhausen]

11. WOW! You have been through a lot.

Hope things are better. :hug:

[CottonBear]

16. Thanks for the hug! We are all OK now.

The in-laws are fixing the house down in LA. It didn't flood which is great!
My friend is recovering nicely and should make a full recovery.
Mr. CB loves his new job.
We are lucky to have such wonderful family, friends and a great place to live.

I'm sending my thoughts and prayers to all of the hurricane victims and their pets. God have mercy on us all.

Peace. CB :hug: :)

[I Have A Dream]

14. Sorry that you've had such a rough time lately, CottonBear.

Hopefully, all of the bad stuff's behind you and things will be looking up for you now!

:hug:

[CottonBear]

17. We are all OK and recovering!

We are very lucky. Thank you for your kind words. :hug: :hi:
It is so difficult to be so far from friends and family in need and suffering.
I'm sure that millions of other Americans are having the same experience.
I'm so very glad to have DU in times like these. :) :hug:

Peace. CB

[Dave Reynolds]

6. How many pairs of slippers could we line with that?

And what does panda taste like?

Just kidding...geez.

:evilgrin:

[CottonBear]

9. Bad. Bad Dave Reynolds.

:spank:

[Dave Reynolds]

10. Sorry, can't help it.

I wuz raised up wrong.

:hide:

[I Have A Dream]

15. You made the baby panda cry!

:)

[I Have A Dream]

12. That picture's about 3 weeks old. Here's from yesterday's exam.

He went from 6.2 lbs. to 9.6 lbs. since then!

[CottonBear]

18. I wonder what his name will be? I entered the contest.

Maybe I'll win! He is so cute. I can't wait until he starts walking and romping about.

His mama is so good. She looks a bit tired lately. I saw her sleeping on a rock outdoors earlier today. She must have left the litle guy inside. :)

[I Have A Dream]

23. I find myself talking to the screen. I'm always telling...

Mama Panda what to do! I'm losing it! :silly: However, I wish that she would realize that he doesn't like to be on his back. That's the thing that I'm usually yelling at her about -- "put him on his stomach!"

:)

[scarlet_owl]

13. Awwwwwwwwwww! So cute!

He looks so snuggly!

[Robeson]

19. Very cute! Thanks for posting...

...:thumbsup:

[barb162]

20. impossibly cute

[SeattleGirl]

21. He's SOOOOOOOOOO cute!!!

Thanks for posting. Need all the smiles I can get these days!

[BlueIris]

22. He looks so much TINIER in that second one. So sweet. Kisses, panda!

Painfully cute.