A panda cub lies on a bed of green leaves in a photo released on July 23.EVERLAND
The newest member of Everland’s beloved panda family is already 50 days old, growing rapidly and starting to show more panda-like traits — including learning to crawl on her belly.
Photos of the panda cub were released by Everland, the theme park that operates Panda World where the panda family lives, on Thursday.
The panda cub weighed about 2.3 kilograms (5 pounds), around 13 times heavier than her birth weight of 171 grams, during a health checkup held the same day. The cub is the third naturally bred panda cub born in Korea and is the fourth cub born to mother Ai Bao and father Le Bao. The panda family also includes the cub's older sister Fu Bao and twin older sisters Rui Bao and Hui Bao.
The cub recently opened both eyes and began holding her head up as the strength in her neck has developed. Her distinctive black markings have become more visible as the soft hair she was born with has gradually fallen away. She is also beginning to show more panda-like traits, including lying on her stomach and crawling forward.
Zoo keepers have said the baby panda “resembles her father Le Bao, who has a thick chin.”
While the panda cub is yet to receive an official a name, she is often referred as Baby Bao or Mak Bao by fans of the panda family. Mak comes from the Korean word maknae, which means youngest.
Ai Bao, who provided round-the-clock care and kept the baby panda close after she was born, has now begun a new parenting routine. The mother now spends several hours apart from her cub each day, including allowing the cub to sleep alone.
Mother Ai Bao cradles her panda cub in a photo released on July 23.EVERLAND
Ai Bao is in good health and is receiving close care from keepers Kang Cheol-won and Song Young-gwan. Veterinarians and panda experts from the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda are also providing care.
A naming contest for the baby panda ended on Sunday and received around 10,000 entries. Giant pandas are typically named once their health becomes stable, as they are born as premature cubs with low survival rates during the early stages of life. The new cub's older sisters also received their names around 100 days after birth.
Everland is reviewing how it will select the panda cub's name and when it will be announced.
“We ask for your continued interest and support as the youngest cub grows,” Keeper Kang Cheol-won said.
Mother Ai Bao cradles and licks her young cub in a photo released on July 23.EVERLAND
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
