Atlanta ? The giant panda cub Mei Lan made her media debut Friday, romping about a Zoo Atlanta exhibit area for a crowd of reporters and cameras while her mother chomped bamboo.

The 16-pound cub and her mother, Lun Lun, have been in seclusion since the cub’s birth Sept. 6. Panda fans have been keeping up with the duo on the zoo Web site’s panda cam and live video feeds at the exhibit.

Friday marked the beginning of limited public viewing of the pair, which the zoo expects will bring a sharp increase in attendance. Peak days could bring more than 13,000 visitors, compared with the typical 3,500, said Cary Burgess, senior vice president of operations.

Although Mei Lan can walk, she is a little wobbly on her feet and tumbles easily. At four months, she is becoming more curious and tends to explore quite a bit, zoo officials said.