Most new moms can relate; after being stuck inside with a newborn for several weeks, getting outside for fresh air and a different view is important.
Mei Xiang at the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington, D.C. took her newborn panda cub outside the den recently and into the main enclosure.
It was a short field trip for the pandas, with Mei Xiang gently nudging her cub along the floor and keeping them out of the smaller den space.
These field trips will get longer and more frequent as the cub gains more strength.
At eight-weeks-old, the cub is practicing crawling and is not expected to take steps until closer to three-months-old.
Zookeepers say the cub is packing on the pounds and has grown a coat of thick, wooly fur, able to help it regulate its body temperature. This means the cub can sleep on the floor of the den next to its mom.
