Giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji is growing and so is his personality. On Tuesday, he weighed in at 58.3 pounds, and lately, he’s been extra adorable playing with one of his “enrichment items”—aka a blue ball. It looks like he’s mastering balancing the toy on his paws as he lays upside down. He would for sure win first place if this were an Olympic event (plus, extra points for cuteness).
This morning, the National Zoo posted a video of Xiao Qi Ji practicing his skills. Exactly the Friday morning pick-me-up we needed. Xiao Qi Ji’s first birthday is in three weeks, and we are so proud of how much he’s learned in just a year.
🐼 🐾 🔵 If there was a competition to see who could balance a ball on their paws in the most adorable manner, giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji would receive a perfect score! Get the latest #PandaStory update from keeper Mariel Lally. ✏️STORY: https://t.co/UcEmHD9k0J. pic.twitter.com/77jK1lbDER
— National Zoo (@NationalZoo) July 30, 2021