The panda cam at the National Zoo has been an amazing source of joy during the pandemic, and these past few days have gifted the world with the opportunity to see these cute cuddlies playing around in the snow. Yesterday, the zoo shared another clip of Tian Tian rolling a ball around. What we’re witnessing is pure happiness, folks. Tian Tian tumbles and fumbles, grabbing the ball, playing with it on his back, flopping his onto the snow.
If you’re looking for even more panda-related snow fun, might I point you in the direction of the sly and runaway-prone red pandas. Asa here was mining for blueberries in the snowflakes a couple days ago. You can hear her “twitter” sound (not the blue check kind). She does walk off at the end, maybe she’s looking for an escape route?
Any talk of red pandas brings up the subject of Rusty, the red panda who captivated Washington and the nation with his daring escape in 2013. Rusty moved to the Pueblo Zoo in Colorado last October, zoo spokesperson Jennifer Zoon tells Washingtonian. He received a breeding recommendation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan in 2020 as well, so it’s possible his rebel spirit will reproduce.
Rosa is a senior editor at Bitch Magazine. She’s written for Washingtonian and Smithsonian magazine.
