The San Diego Zoo strives to learn about giant pandas and save them from extinction. The zoo used social media to share pictures and information about the newborn cub, captivating a wide-reaching audience and possibly inspiring a generation of conservationists.

A panda cub at the San Diego Zoo received its first veterinary exam. The cub is healthy and weighs 1.5 pounds.

As animal lovers gush over a newborn giant panda at the San Diego Zoo, they are raising awareness of the species' threatened existence. Zookeepers hope that the pandas’ beauty will attract the crowds, but that their tragically small population will keep them there—possibly inspiring a new generation of conservationists.

Experts estimate that only 1,600 giant pandas exist and only 11 live in the United States, so news spread rapidly when the cub was born at the San Diego Zoo on July 29.

"The birth of a giant panda cub is such a rare event. Its birth alone brings so much awareness to giant pandas. People start wondering how they can help, so the event reaches a higher level than the birth itself," said Kathy Hawk, a lead panda keeper at the San Diego Zoo, told the Daily News.

Zoo veterinarians examined the newborn Panda, for three minutes on Aug. 22 while the mother, Bai Yun (White Cloud), left their den to eat. The medical team confirmed that the panda is in good health and weighs about 1.5 pounds. Since they finished quickly - as to not distress the cub or Bai Yun - the researchers haven't yet determined the baby panda's sex.

Adhering to Chinese tradition, the cub will not receive its name for at least 100 days, the zoo tweeted.

This critically endangered species is on loan to the San Diego Zoo from the People’s Republic of China. The People's Republic of China loaned a few giant pandas to the San Diego Zoo so that it could research the species that has been harmed by habitat loss, according to a press release. The zoo's wildlife conservancy is committed to rescuing the species from impending extinction.

Hawk has worked with the pandas since Bai Yun, the zoo's first giant panda, arrived from China in 1996. "I've known her since she was 4 ½. By watching her grow and develop, we have learned so much about giant pandas," Hawk explained.

Bai Yun proved to the zookeepers that pandas are incredible intelligent. Over the years, Hawk developed a close rapport with Bai Yun. Hawk has been able to perform ultrasounds, draw blood and train Bai Yun to lie down on command, all without drugs to sedate her. "The trust you can have with an animal like that still blows my mind," said Hawk. "We do things I never thought were humanly possible." Bai Yun will be 21 years old in September, so Hawk was shocked and thrilled when she discovered Bai Yun was pregnant.

Source: NEW YORK DAILY NEWS