Panda cub will soon be peripatetic

WASHINGTON – The National Zoo’s giant panda cub has doubled in size since his first examination two months ago and now measures 24.7 inches, the animal park’s chief veterinarian said Friday.

The male cub got his seventh exam Friday morning. He now weighs 11.1 pounds. That compares with 1.82 pounds during his first exam Aug. 2. He was born July 9.

Suzan Murray, the zoo’s chief veterinarian, said all signs looked good during the 14-minute exam.

Murray said the cub appears nearly ready to begin moving around on all fours, which would be the next landmark in his development. On Thursday, he took a couple of stumbling steps.

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