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Young panda at Smithsonian's National Zoo gets time to play without mom around

The young panda can be seen in the video, which was taken on Jan. 19, exploring the area on his own, climbing trees and tumbling around away from mom's prying eyes.

WASHINGTON — A young giant panda is getting some time away from mom at Smithsonian's National Zoo, and it's adorable.

Xiao Qi Ji, who is 2.5 years old, has been enjoying "solo play sessions" at the zoo so the giant panda team can "evaluate how Xiao Qi Ji is adjusting to spending time apart from his mother, Mei Xiang." 

The young panda can be seen in the video, which was taken on Jan. 19, exploring the area on his own, climbing trees and tumbling around away from mom's prying eyes.

Xiao Qi Ji was born on Aug. 21, 2020, to mother Mei Xiang and father Tian Tian at the Smithsonian's National Zoo, the zoo's website says. His name, Xiao Qi Ji, translates as “little miracle” in English.

Hopefully, his time away from mom wasn't unbearable.

WATCH NEXT: Bald eagle rescued after being hit by car in Howard Co.

Howard County Police shared images of a recently rescued bald eagle on Twitter Monday. 

According to the tweet, the young injured animal was found on Woodbine Road.

A spokesperson from Howard County tells WUSA9 that the bird was found after it was hit by a car. The bald eagle was taken to Frisky's Wildlife Rescue and Primate Sanctuary for care.

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