Look out world! DC’s giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji is on the move

Xiao Qi Ji, the National Zoo’s latest giant panda cub, is seen here on Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2020. (Courtesy Smithsonian’s National Zoo/Roshan Patel)

Wow, they really do grow up so fast.

Xiao Qi Ji, the Smithsonian National Zoo’s newest (and quite possibly cutest) resident giant panda, officially took his first steps over the Thanksgiving holiday.

That means while the rest of us were busy gorging ourselves, the zoo’s 3-month-old Little Miracle was putting us all to shame by staying active, getting strong and preparing to take on the world.

The National Zoo shared the panda’s adorable triumph online. “This is a big milestone for our little cub, and we are thrilled to share it with his fans all over the world!” wrote Laurie Thompson, assistant curator of giant pandas, in a post Friday.

In the short clip, Xiao Qi Ji’s mother, Mei Xiang, can be seen lounging in the far corner of her enclosure (probably sleeping off an extra helping of stuffing like the rest of us). Meanwhile, Xiao Qi Ji gets his little panda legs underneath his little panda body and gets his little panda butt on the move. He caps the journey off by plopping down next to mom — who looks about as proud as a giant panda can look.

Keep up the good work, buddy; we’re all cheering you on.

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Zeke Hartner

Zeke Hartner is a digital writer/editor who has been with WTOP since 2017. He is a graduate of North Carolina State University’s Political Science program and an avid news junkie.

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