The newest baby panda at San Diego zoo, which has yet to be named, is growing up fast.

In for his 7th exam, the healthy panda cub has finally opened his eyes and ears and seems to be growing in length and weight. Zookeepers have given him the nickname 'sausage' to reflect how he is growing, not just up but also out. According to the zoo, they are a following a Chinese cultural tradition of waiting to name the giant panda until he is 100 days old in mid-November.

After recent news of a baby panda death at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo, it is good to see baby pandas healthy and strong.

Pandas are currently listed as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List. According to the organization, only about 2,500 mature giant pandas remain in the wild. With efforts to retain and improve their natural habitats and captive breeding programs, the giant panda is no longer listed as critically endangered.


Yet it will take time for the panda to lose its endangered status. Female pandas only give birth once every two years on average, and breeding pandas in captivity is even more difficult. With the birth of another panda, it brings the species one step closer to recovery.

Watch the in the video above as the cub squeals while doctors take his weight and measurements and look in his ears.

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