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Say My Name: Baby Giant Panda Is Named ... Bei Bei

Keepers had an opportunity to weigh the 4.5 week-old giant panda cub on Sept. 21.

The baby giant panda at the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington, D.C., was given a name.

The little guy had some VIP help. The name was chosen by first lady Michelle Obama and China's first lady, Madame Peng Liyuan.

Here's the pool report from the ceremony:

"The panda born on August 22 here to Mei Xiang has a name! It's Bei Bei. It was chosen by FLOTUS and Ms. Peng and they revealed it in English and Chinese by unrolling scrolls tied by ribbons with help of two school kids."

It's pronounced "Bay-Bay."

There's no word, yet, on how Beyoncé feels about all this.

Either way, here are some gratuitous images of the little critter:

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Eyder Peralta
Eyder Peralta is NPR's East Africa correspondent based in Nairobi, Kenya.