Baby Panda Glamour Shots Released

As an antidote to downer coverage of the tiger attack and Benazir Bhutto's assassination, we present the newest photos of Zhen Zhen, the San Diego zoo's new baby panda. We documented her arrival on the scene back in September, but now that she's four months old, she's gotten furrier, less gooey, and more comfortable around humans. She made her public debut last weekend, and the folks in Southern California are still enduring long lines to get a peek.

Luckily if you don't want to wait to see her in person, the AP has the slideshow offering all imaginable permutations of cuteness. For some inexplicable reason, the gallery also includes holiday shots of the not-so-cute Tao Tao, the oldest panda in the world, and the release of big old Xiang Xiang, the first captivity-raised panda to be released in the wild. Skip ahead to pictures 3-10 to see cute-as-pie Zhen Zhen peer over a tree stump, cuddle with her mama, and play with an enormous ball.

Panda Bear Slideshow [AP]

[Photo: AP]