Giant panda cub plays as National Zoo sets to reopen

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3 年前

The cub, named Xiao Qi Ji, is the son of Tian Tian and Mei Xiang, who gave birth to him in August at age 22, thrilling zoo officials who thought she had a slim chance of having a fourth healthy cub.

The National Zoo, part of the Smithsonian Institution, will reopen Friday at 20 percent capacity, admitting 5,000 to 6,000 visitors a day, down from as many as 20,000 pre-pandemic.

"All the animals at the Zoo are used to seeing visitors but they haven't had them for a long time. Our pandas are--, you know, they do two things extremely well: they love to eat and they love to sleep. And, they get great care here and, so, they haven't missed a beat, " said zoo director Steven Monfort.