The Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington DC recently revealed the sex of its new giant panda cub in spectacular style and posted a video of the gender reveal online.
Panda Tian Tian, the cub’s father, was tasked with painting (yes, painting) two pictures, one with pink paint and one with blue paint.
The picture corresponding to the sex of the panda cub was then wrapped up and later revealed by the zoo’s giant panda keepers on social media.
Genetic tests are required to determine a giant panda cub’s sex when they are born, as outwardly male and female cubs appear similar.
A cheek swab was taken from the six-week-old panda and test results found that the little cub was a boy.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CGKh97YDWqn/
The cub’s mother Mei Xiang has three other surviving offspring, boys Tai Shan and Bei Bei, and girl Bao Bao.
At 22 years old, Mei Xiang is the oldest giant panda in the US and the second oldest documented in the world to give birth.
Watch the adorable gender reveal and see footage of Tian Tian painting his masterpiece below:
