Cheeky panda hangs upside down from a wooden frame while forming a heart shape with its front legs for a delighted crowd and even appears to giggle as they cheer her on.
Phone footage shows the playful panda, named Menglan, stepping out in the exercise area of its enclosure at Beijing Zoo, in China’s capital.
Menglan, the zoo’s top attraction, has been described as a very lively creature that is always up to some playful skit when not feasting on bamboo.
In this video shared on Douyin, China’s version of TikTok, on 12th December, Menglan is seen walking up to the wooden structure during a minute of heightened anticipation from the visitors.
It slowly climbed the structure at its tallest, then hung upside down by its hind legs.
Seemingly a pro at interacting with fans, it then curled its front legs above its head and made a heart shape as it looked them straight in the eyes.
A cheerful crowd immediately began screaming in the background as a seemingly satisfied Menglan grinned before it came back down.
And Douyin users seemed to be enjoying the sight as well.
One, titled ‘Awei’, commented: “It’s too cute, right?”
User ‘Superman Baby’ wrote: “No bear can compare to Menglan.”
And ‘Haozi’ said: “Pandas have incredible climbing abilities.”
The giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) is a black-and-white bear native to China and often serves as the country’s national symbol.
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Known for its distinct colouration with black patches around the eyes, ears, and across its body, the giant panda has a robust build and a unique “pseudo thumb,” an extension of the wrist bone used for grasping bamboo.
Despite their carnivorous classification, pandas primarily consume bamboo. Supplemented with fruits and occasionally small mammals.
They are threatened by continued habitat loss and habitat fragmentation and are currently classified as ‘vulnerable’ on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
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