The Smithsonian National Zoo is ready to debut Bei Bei, the panda born here in D.C. in late August.

Come January 16, the public will be able to view Bei Bei. If you’re a zoo member, you can even snag a preview early, from January 8 through 15.

This comes shortly after Bei Bei took his first steps last week. That development means he will start wandering around and even leaving his den, according to the Zoo.

Arguably, the more important moment of maturation occurred in September, when he stopped looking like a creepy mole rat and started actually resembling a panda.

Filed Under: bei bei, panda, public debut,