When you were born, you were pretty small: just a few pounds and less than 2 feet long. But giant pandas, even though they’re giant, are even tinier when they’re born. This giant panda cub born at a Belgium zoo weighed only 6 ounces — about the same as 3 regular candy bars! Any time a giant panda is born in a zoo, it’s super exciting news because it almost never happens. There are only 1,864 giant pandas in the world, with about 300 of those in zoos. So every teeny baby makes a giant difference.
Wee ones: If you have 2 legs and a baby panda has 4, who has more?
Little kids: If the mama panda has 4 fuzzy feet and the baby has 4 not-yet-so-fuzzy feet, how many feet do they have together? Bonus: The mama panda, Hao Hao, is 6 years old. How much older or younger than that are you?
Big kids: Another giant panda cub was born in Washington, DC on August 23, 2013. How long ago was that, in years and days? (Today is Sept. 1, 2022 – and don’t worry about counting Leap Days!) Bonus: There are 1,864 giant pandas in the world, and 300 of them are in zoos. How many pandas are in the wild?
The sky’s the limit: The panda cub was born on June 2, and will be named on his 100th day of life. On what date will that happen? (Remember: the date of birth, June 2, counts as day 1! Also, June has 30 days, but July and August each have 31.)
Answers:
Wee ones: The baby panda has more, even if they’re smaller!
Little kids: 8 panda feet. Bonus: Different for everyone…subtract your age from 6, or subtract 6 from your age. If you’re 6, you’re the same.
Big kids: 9 years 9 days ago, since Aug. 31 would have been 9 years and 1 day ago. Bonus: 1,564 pandas.
The sky’s the limit: On September 9.
