Washington plans exhibit for baby panda
(AP)
Updated: 2005-09-22 21:26

The National Zoo hopes to put its giant panda cub on exhibit sometime in November.

The Panda House was closed shortly before first-time mother Mei Xiang gave birth to the male cub on July 9. The public can still see her mate, Tian Tian, in his yard, and Mei Xiang sometimes ventures outside as well.

Zoo officials will set a date for reopening the exhibit after keepers determine how Mei Xiang adjusts to the additional noise and traffic, zoo spokeswoman Peper Long said in a story in Thursday's Washington Post.

Zoo officials plan to deal with the expected crush of visitors by giving out timed admission tickets.

The cub will be named before it meets the public. Visitors to the zoo's Web site have cast about 143,000 votes in a naming contest that ends Sept. 30. Officials will announce the winning name Oct. 17.

The giant panda cub is the first at the zoo to survive more than a few days. He now weighs about 10 pounds, measures nearly two feet from head to tail and is beginning to crawl in circles but hasn't started to walk.