Panda-mania

Sixteen-month-old giant panda cub Bao Bao plays in the snow with her mother Mei Xiang at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo as a winter storm hits Washington January 6, 2015. Photograph: Reuters

Let’s face it: I miss the snow. After a few teasing moments outside my windows, it finally arrived during the holidays, coating my drab, dirty little town in magic. Alas, it stayed for only 36 hours (give or take an hour), before melting out of sight. If history is any indication, it’ll probably be another five years before it returns.

With that in mind, and to observe “Caturday” and to help you (and me!) get into the proper mood for the weekend, I am sharing some short videos of pandas doing what I wish I could do right now: enjoy the snow. Without further ado, here’s some pure panda-monium-mania to brighten your morning, thanks to the antics of the Smithsonian National Zoo’s pandas, the cub, Bao Bao, who has never before seen snow, who romps with her mother, Mei Xiang:

Video courtesy of the Smithsonian National Zoo, via the Associated Press.

So that video wasn’t enough? Perhaps you wish to know whether adult pandas also engage in snow silliness without a cub around to convince them to do so? Here’s your answer, thanks to the Toronto Zoo’s panda, Da Bao:

Video courtesy of the Toronto Zoo.

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GrrlScientist is very active on twitter @GrrlScientist and sometimes lurks on social media: facebook, G+, LinkedIn, and Pinterest.