Joyful panda plays around in the freshly fallen snow in its enclosure.
The panda, named Menglan, was filmed amid its moment of winter fun by its keepers at Beijing Zoo, in China’s capital, on 11th December.
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.
Seeing its exercise area covered in a vast expanse of white, Menglan became extremely excited.
It ran outside and bounded over, grabbing its toys, rolling, and playing joyfully in the snow.
Menglan rolled a few times in the snow, stood up, and shook off the snow as if to declare it was not afraid of the cold.
Netizens on Douyin, China’s version of TikTok, seemed to be enjoying the sight as well.
One user titled ‘Little April’ commented: “When it snows, there are two spots in Beijing that are sure to hit… one is the snow scene of the Forbidden City, and the other is Menglan playing in the snow.”
User ‘Su Nian Jin’ wrote: “That’s so cute.”
And ‘dyyb’ said: “It’s really visibly happy.”
The giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) is a black-and-white bear native to China and often serves as the country’s national symbol.
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.
The giant panda is threatened by continued habitat loss and habitat fragmentation and is currently classified as ‘vulnerable’ on the IUCN Red List.
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