Bei Bei The Panda Unveiled To The General Public

Residents of Washington D.C. got their first close up look last month of the giant panda cub named Bei Bei who has become the main star of the National Zoo. Until recently Bei Bei could only be seen through the so called Panda Cam which was a video stream of the baby panda which enabled people to view the panda cub for the first five months of its life. As soon as Bei Bei was unveiled to the public a line formed before opening time so people could get a look at the little ball of fur inside its sound proof glass enclosure.

Pandas are really popular

Many visitors wore sweaters, hats and gloves with panda logos on them. Visitors were allowed into the enclosure in groups of 50 and were able to view the panda for ten minutes at a time. Pandas are an endangered species and very popular with the general public, so much so that some people took their ten minutes to see Bei Bei and then got right back in line again.

Getting used to humans

Bei Bei’s handlers had worked hard getting the little fella used to people by having employees of the zoo and members of the media stop by to pay him a visit. Bei Bei made his official début in December last year. The cub has attracted the attention of two first ladies. Michelle Obama and her counterpart in China Peng Liyaun made a fuss over the critter during the state visit to Washington in September 2015.

Will move back to China eventually

Bei Bei will be handed over to China at age four just like his big sister Bao Bao and their older sibling Tai Shuan were. Bei Bei did have a twin brother but he died shortly after being born. Parents of the panda cubs, Tian Tian and Mei Xian are on loan from China and will stay in Washington at least until 2020 as part of an agreement which requires the National Zoo pay half a million dollars a year to support conservation in China.