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SCIENCESaturday 19 December 2015
Panda cub in Washington is thriving ahead of public debut
BEN NUCKOLS In this photo taken Dec. 14, 2015, animal keeper Nicole MacCorkle holds Bei Bei, the National China and join the breed-
Associated Press ing program there.
WASHINGTON (AP) — If Zoo’s newest panda and offspring of Mei Xiang and Tian Tian, for members of the media at the Giant pandas are endan-
the youngest giant panda gered, with roughly 1,800
cub at the National Zoo National Zoo in Washington. The youngest giant panda cub at the National Zoo is ready for his living in the wild and 350 in
is stressed out about ap- captivity, which means Bei
pearing in front of crowds close-up. Bei Bei will make his public debut on Jan. 16. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) Bei and his sister are being
for the first time, he isn’t counted on to help per-
showing it. es ahead of his public de- of a stick of butter. Bei the same age — and is hit- petuate the species.
Keepers were expect- but on Jan. 16, when the Bei, who was a twin — his ting every developmental Zoo staffers hope that by
ing Bei Bei to squawk and panda house will reopen. brother did not survive milestone. the time Bei Bei leaves,
squirm during an audi- That’s also around the time — weighed just 4 ounces He’s one of four pandas at they’ll have another young
ence with a small news Bei Bei will be sure enough (113 grams) when he was the Smithsonian’s National panda to care for. Mei
media contingent ear- on his feet that he’ll get to born. Now, at nearly 4 Zoo, along with his mother, Xiang, who has given birth
lier this week. Instead, un- venture into the outdoor months, he’s 17.5 pounds Mei Xiang, his father, Tian to three surviving cubs, is
der bright television lights panda habitat for the first (8 kilograms) of fur, mus- Tian, and his 2-year-old sis- scheduled to be artificially
with cameras clicking, he time. cle, claws and teeth. He’s ter, Bao Bao. The pandas inseminated again in 2017.
quickly fell asleep on an Pandas are famously help- gaining about a pound a belong to China, and after Pandas have been the star
examination table, leaving less at birth: pink, hairless, week — he’s bigger than they turn 4, Bao Bao and attraction at the National
a small puddle of drool on blind, and about the size either of his siblings were at then Bei Bei will return to Zoo since China gave the
the tablecloth. United States a pair of the
Panda biologist Laurie black-and-white bears
Thompson explained that after President Richard
before he went in front Nixon’s historic visit in 1972.
of the cameras, Bei Bei Efforts to breed them in
was playing with a piece captivity were long met
of bamboo and trying to with frustration, but the
walk. Just like a newborn survival rate has improved
human, he tires easily. dramatically in the past 20
“I’m very proud of him,” years.
Thompson said. “Obvious- Throughout his nearly
ly, he wasn’t too bothered 30-minute appearance
by all the people here. This before reporters and pho-
is just the beginning for him tographers, keepers and
as far as people go.” veterinarians stroked Bei
Bei Bei is ready for his Bei’s thick, bristly fur, and
close-up. The cub will he protested only when
make a few appearances they tried to open his
before selected audienc- mouth to count his teeth.q
Beijing issues second smog red alert of the month
BEIJING (AP) — China’s safe by the World Health parts of Beijing will fall to ing accusations that it was bute 1.4 million premature
capital Beijing issued its Organization. less than 500 meters (1,600 ignoring serious bouts of deaths per year to China’s
second smog red alert of Half the city’s cars will be feet) on Tuesday when the smog to avoid the eco- smog, or almost 4,000 per
the month on Friday, trig- forced off the road on any smog will be at its worst, the nomic costs. Some resi- day. Most of the pollution
gering vehicle restrictions given day, while barbe- city government website dents have defied the odd- is blamed on coal-fired
and forcing schools to cue grills and other out- said. An almost complete even license plate number power plants, along with
close. door smoke sources will be lack of wind would contrib- traffic restrictions and com- vehicle emissions, build-
A wave of smog is due to banned and factory pro- ute to the smog’s lingering plained about the need to ing construction and fac-
settle over the city of 22.5 duction restricted. Schools over the city, it said. stay home from work to tory work resulting from
million from Saturday to will close and residents ad- Smog red alerts are trig- accompany housebound three decades of head-
Tuesday. Levels of PM2.5, vised to avoid outdoor ac- gered when levels of PM2.5 children. Others have used long economic expan-
the smallest and deadliest tivities. above 300 are forecast to the break from school to sion. While Beijing’s smog
airborne particles, are set On Friday afternoon, the air last for more than 72 hours. travel to places where the gets the most attention,
to top 500, according to was relatively good, with a Although the four-tier air is better, while many the scourge strikes much of
the official Beijing govern- PM2.5 reading of about 80 smog warning system was who stay wear air filtering northern China on a regu-
ment website. and the sun shining brightly launched two years ago, face masks and run air pu- lar basis, sometimes forc-
That is more than 20 times over the city. Beijing had not issued a red rifiers in their homes. ing the closure of highways
the level that is considered However, visibility in some alert until last week, draw- Scientific studies attri- because of poor visibility.q
