Introducing giant panda cub Bei Bei

WASHINGTON, D.C.-- The giant panda cub Bei Bei made his media debut Wednesday morning at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C.

Although he's not on public display until January 16, WUSA-TV got a special preview.

The 17-and-a-half pound giant panda cub held court Wednesday morning for his first press conference. Bei Bei handled it like a pro, posing for pictures and giving the people what they want - more Bei Bei.

And when he had enough, he took a nap.

"It's pretty exciting, I'm not going to lie," said giant panda biologist Laurie Thompson. "It's always fun to have babies around!"

Especially when the babies look like Bei Bei.

Like most babies his age, Bei Bei is really only interested in a few things.

"He just wants to either have more food or just wants to be on his own and explore his habitat," said giant panda keeper Juan Rodriguez.

"He's learning to explore his world a little bit. He's just starting to play with his momma. You'll see them have little nip fests where he bites her on the foot," Thompson said.

Bei Bei's parents, Mei Xiang and Tian Tian were not too far away.

Bei Bei's zookeeper said the cub is already proving to be pretty special.

"He's been a very unique in the beginning. He was very quiet when he was first born but when he has gotten older, he has become more vocal," Rodriguez said. "He's actually walking a lot sooner than his older sister did. He's about four or so pounds heavier than his sister was at this same age."

He's also developing faster than his older brother, Tai Shan, who was born in 2005, according to Rodriguez.

"He's going to be a big, big bear when he's older," Rodriguez said.

Bei Bei's handlers are documenting everything about him-- his quirks, growth and progress. Information that's not only important for Bei Bei's development but also for panda conservation.

"He' s a giant panda that's very endangered so people need to remember that we need to protect the pandas. As cute as he is, there's not many of them left," said Thompson.

"Most importantly, these guys are endangered species. Ultimately when they get older they are not going to be our pets so that's probably the hardest part of this whole process," Rodriguez said. "When they get older they are going to be a part of a really bigger picture and a bigger program."

And in case you are wondering, no, you cannot spoon Bei Bei. Only Mei Xiang can spoon with him.

If you're a zoo member, you can get an earlier peak, from January 8 through the 15.