The National Zoo in Washington, D.C., has named one of their newest panda cubs three months after his birth in August, The New York Times reported.
The National Zoo chose the name Xiao Qi Ji for the little panda cub. Xiao Qi Ji is a Mandarin phrase, which in English translates to “little miracle,” according to the The New York Times.
The National Zoo’s baby panda cub now has a name. Welcome Xiao Qi Ji, a Mandarin phrase that translates to “little miracle” in English. https://t.co/V41ITVHf1f
— The New York Times (@nytimes) November 23, 2020
The Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute had asked the general public to pick between four names for the panda cub, Xiao Qi Ji being one of them. (RELATED: REPORT: Brown Bear Killed By Alaska Airlines Plane During Landing)
From having a live-streamed birth to having more than one million people being able to follow his life developments on Giant Panda Cam, Xiao Qi Ji’s life has been very open to the public.
It wasn’t until last week though, that the National Zoo asked the public to vote on their website as a means to decide on a name for the cub.
“After five days of voting and just under 135,000 votes, the winning name is Xiao Qi Ji (SHIAU-chi-ji), which translates as ‘little miracle’ in English,” the zoo said in an announcement.
“Giant pandas are an international symbol of endangered wildlife and hope, and Xiao Qi Ji’s birth offered the world a much-needed moment of joy amidst the Covid-19 pandemic,” it continued.