Tokyo to begin seeking names for star giant panda cub

This Saturday, July 22, 2017 photo released by Tokyo Zoological Park Society, shows a giant panda cub at Ueno Zoo in Tokyo. The baby panda, born in June, got a check up on Saturday. (Tokyo Zoological Park Society via AP)

Tokyo is preparing to start collecting ideas later this week for naming a new giant panda cub born at its Ueno zoo.

The zoo, Japan's oldest, has not shown the cub directly to the public. But it released a video of the cub born on June 12 showing the squeaky baby snuggling with its mother ShinShin. The roly-poly female cub already has the characteristic black and white giant panda pattern in its fur and its eyes have opened.

ShinShin's last cub was born in 2012 and survived only six days. The newcomer appears to be thriving, and is sure to draw huge crowds once it goes on display.

About 420 giant pandas live in captivity, mostly in their native China, while about 1,860 live in the wild.