Community Corner

#ZooMeet: Instagram Users Could Win Visit with Bao Bao

Want to avoid the crush of gawkers seeking a glimpse of the National Zoo's panda cub? Enter an Instagram contest for a chance to win a private meetup.

It’s Bao Bao’s world, and we’re just living in it.

Video of the panda cub yawning, walking and sleeping has been all over the TV. On Wednesday one ofNational Public Radio’s program played audio of the cub’s cries and squalls.

The media attention to the panda cub born last fall at the National Zoo in Washington might peak this weekend when the public can finally check out the young celebrity.

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The cub is most active in the early mornings and mid-afternoons, saysWJLA TV. So, keep that in mind if you plan to head to the zoo this Saturday, Jan. 18, for the first public viewing on the cub and her mother, Mei Xiang.

The panda house will extend its hours in an attempt to accommodate visitors, the TV station says, opening from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. from Jan. 18 through Jan. 20. Visitors will be allowed in small groups on a first-come, first-serve basis.

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Beginning Jan. 21, the panda house opens to the general public at 10 a.m.

The zoo says 30 Instagram users who follow @SmithsonianZoo on the social platform will be allowed to see and photograph Bao Bao on Feb. 1 as part of an InstaMeet or “#ZooMeet.” Registration for the Instagram event began Jan. 15 and ends at 11:59 p.m. on Jan. 21, the zoo’s website says.


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