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The birth of Xiao Qi Ji gave the world "a much-needed moment of joy," the zoo wrote
Photo: Smithsonian's National Zoo / AP
The baby panda was born three months ago in the zoo in the US capital Washington, and now it has been given a name: Xiao Qi Ji (little miracle).
"His name reflects the extraordinary circumstances under which he was born," wrote the Smithsonian National Zoo on Monday (local time) with a view to the corona pandemic.
The birth of Xiao Qi Ji (pronounced: Schiao Tschi Dschi) gave the world "an urgently needed moment of joy".
A vote on the name was possible in mid-November: for five days, a total of four Chinese names were available on the zoo's website.
A total of almost 135,000 votes came together.
Birth was broadcast live
The 22-year-old panda mom Mei Xiang gave birth to the baby at the end of August; previously she was pregnant in 2015.
The birth was broadcast live on the zoo's panda camera.
In early October, the zoo finally revealed that the boy was male after scientists had determined his gender using genetic analysis.
According to media reports, the little ball of fur now weighs more than 4.5 kilograms and opened its eyes for the first time last month.
On Monday, the zoo closed its doors to the public for the second time due to the corona pandemic.
The Smithsonian Institution, one of the most important research and educational institutions in the country, announced last week that the zoo and the seven museums in the Washington area would be closed for an indefinite period.
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sen / dpa
