Baby Panda Is 'Peaceful Mountain'

The National Zoo's giant panda cub, known to its keepers simply as "the cub" since his birth 100 days ago, finally has a name: Tai Shan, which means "peaceful mountain."

The name received 44 percent of the estimated 200,000 votes cast on the zoo's Web site, officials said Monday.

The panda went without a name for its first 100 days in observance of a Chinese custom. It's rare for pandas born in captivity to live more than a few days, and keeping the animals nameless is seen as a way to trick fate into letting them survive.

The cub wasn't present at his naming ceremony. Zoo officials say he probably won't be making his public debut until sometime in December, since his mother is still quite protective of him.

Panda fans celebrated the 100-day milestone at a zoo ceremony featuring performances by Chinese dance troops and martial artists.

Officials from China delivered speeches toasting the fuzzy little cub.

"It is really important for these guys to get born in captivity," said Dr. Suzan Murray, the National Zoo chief veterinarian on The Early Show. "We learn a lot from our Chinese colleagues and we share our knowledge as well. So there's a really nice panda community. We all get together and help each other. We're all very committed to help save pandas."

The male cub, born July 9, is the first giant panda born at the National Zoo to survive more than a few weeks. The mother, Mai Xiang, and the father, Tian Tian, are on a 10-year loan from China. The cub will be sent to China when it is 2.

"He's 13 pounds. Every time we weigh him, he's gained another pound," Murray said. "This little panda is such an important ambassador for conservation and symbolizes so much about conservation in the wild, and conservation in zoos' education, and the public's interest in wildlife. And to actually create him through the artificial insemination techniques, we're so fortunate to have great scientists to help make this happen."

Murray said the number of pandas born in captivity is not large.

"There are about 1,600 pandas in the wild and we're nearing about 180 in captivity," she said. "So it's still not very much, and not that many have been born in this country, and certainly, not through artificial insemination. We're so thrilled to have him."

Tai Shan, pronounced "tie-SHON," spent the morning with his mother, Mei Xiang, in a den that's still off limits to zoo visitors. His handlers are slowly introducing him to the exhibit enclosure where he's expected to go on public view within the next couple months.

The panda cub recently took its first steps and zoo examiners say its teeth have started coming in. But he's still a way from eating solid food, and won't be weaned off his mother for another year.

They also said the cub has begun to exhibit signs that he's ready to play. On Sunday, Mei Xiang was resting on her platform when the cub stretched up and touched his nose to hers, then swatted her with his paw. When the mother came down from the platform and picked him up, he squirmed and swatted her again.