Connect with us

National Zoo Pandas Frolic in Snow

National Zoo Pandas Frolic in Snow

Credit: Unsplash

D.C.’s snowstorm was appreciated by at least three residents.

The northeastern United States got a hearty serving of snow last night, with Washington D.C. in particular picking up a good two to four inches of the cold stuff. D.C. residents took to the streets to enjoy the first major snowfall of the new year, but this wasn’t an event to be exclusively enjoyed by humans. Over at The National Zoo, the animals were enjoying some frosty festivities of their own, no more so than the local panda family.


The National Zoo’s resident giant pandas, Mei Xiang and Tian Tian, left their indoor enclosure for their outdoor enclosure to frolic in the snow, rolling around and sliding down hills in an absolutely adorable display. According to the Smithsonian, since pandas are native to the high mountainous regions of China, they have an instinctive affinity for the snow, and love to play in the stuff.

Interestingly, this was also the very first snowfall ever experienced by the National Zoo’s giant panda cub, Xiao Qi Ji. He was a little too nervous to fully enter the outdoor enclosure with the others, but he took a few steps outside the indoor enclosure to get a closer look. According to the zookeepers, Xiao Qi Ji was “very interested in looking around the zookeepers’ space and took a ‘nip’ at the snow.”

It seems as though Washington D.C. dodged the brunt of the snowstorm that’s currently hitting the northeast, though the storm is expected to escalate into the night. Well, even if the zookeepers have trouble getting to work tomorrow, at least the pandas will have plenty to look forward to.

Continue Reading

More in WOW News

More Posts

Trending Now

Don’t Miss

Discover

To Top