Community Corner

Panda Cub Naming Poll Open

It's time to name the baby panda! What do you think she should be named?

The poll to name the baby giant panda at the Smithsonian National Zoological Park is open, and everyone is invited to cast a vote to name the cute, cuddly cub.

The baby panda was born on Aug. 23, and while many in the DC area already have nicknamed her Butterstick (technically Butterstick II, since her older brother Tai Shan was the first Butterstick), she'll receive her official Chinese name on her 100th day, Dec. 1.

The baby panda's name options are:

  • Bao Bao (宝宝): Precious, treasure. 
  • Ling Hua (玲花): Darling, delicate flower. 
  • Long Yun (龙韵): Long is the Chinese symbol of the dragon; Yun means charming. Combined, this represents a sign of luck for panda cooperation between China and the United States. 
  • Mulan (木兰): Legendary young woman, a smart and brave Chinese warrior from the fifth century; also the name for the magnolia flower in China and the United States. 
  • Zhen Bao (珍宝): Treasure, valuable. 

Not sure which one to pick? Watch the little cub on the panda cam or check out these photos of the cub, and see which option fits her best, in your opinion.

The cub's older brother Tai Shan (born July 9, 2005, and shipped to China via special FedEx Panda Express on Feb. 4, 2010) was given the nickname Butterstick—in reference to a zoo description of him at birth—by two local bloggers, Catherine Andrews and her boyfriend, Tom Lee, The Washington Post reported in 2006.
"On Aug. 2, Andrews posted an entry on local blog collective DCist.com that she casually headlined 'Butterstick's a boy!' Within days, blogger friends started actively promoting the name; within weeks, it had entered common parlance," The Post reported.

A "fervent write-in campaign" attempted to secure Tai Shan's name as Butterstick, but the campaign was not successful, The Post added.

When the new cub is a few years old, she, too, will fly to China to participate in China's panda breeding program, according to an agreement between the U.S. and China.

What do you think the baby panda should be named? 

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