The National Zoo's newborn panda cub is growing fast. He weighs 2.95 pounds and is already larger than his older siblings were at his age.
The cub is four and a half weeks old now. His older sister, Bao Bao, weighed about two pounds and his older brother, Tai Shan, weighed 2.6 pounds when they were his age.
Keepers were able to weigh the cub Monday when his mother, Mei Xiang, left her den to eat.
The little guy has also reached other new developmental milestones. Keepers noticed that he reacted to the sound of a door moving on Saturday, meaning that he can hear. His eyes are still closed, which is normal; however, keepers expect to see them open in the next two to four weeks.
After an exam Sept. 17, veterinarians reported that the giant panda cub measured slightly longer than a foot from his head to the tip of his tail. His front right leg was a little less than four inches long and his back right leg was 3.5 inches long.
They were also pleased to announce that he has an "excellent range of motion" and can push up on his front legs, according to a press release from Smithsonian's National Zoo.
So far, keepers have not seen the newborn walk, but he has been spotted scooting around the den using his front legs.
