“Is Chengdu snowing today?”

“Really? That’s imposable!”

“But how do I see pandas playing snow in Panda Base?” 

“So what’s going on?”

Oh, it’s an artificial snow provided by keepers!

When it comes to winter, many cities in China are snowing hard and snow landscapes can be seen here and there. However, it’s rare to see snow in Chengdu. For this reason, the keepers provided artificial snow for pandas in the Panda Base to let them enjoy fun of playing the snow. Let’s go and see the reaction of pandas to snow!

First, we arrived at the Giant Panda Kindergarten of the Sunshine Delivery House. The keepers had already set snow landscapes and were waiting for pandas.

Snow in Giant Panda Kindergarten

In response to the calling of keepers, panda mother Ni Ni went out slowly with her babies Ni Na and Jing Liang. Ni Na was the first to approach snow. Facing these unfamiliar stuff, Ni Na looked a bit cautious. She tried to walk on the snow and tasted it, but found it just icy and tasteless, going away to play.

Ni Na: What’s this? Let me have a try!

Tasteless. I’d better go somewhere to play. 

And then Ni Ni came to the snow with Jing Liang. They looked more interested than Ni Na, rolling on the snow, playing with each other, and hugging snow ball to lick. Finally, Ni Ni were tired and ate bamboo on the snow.

Ni Ni: Go! Let’s go and see what that is!

Ni Ni: Wow! It’s icy and comfortable to step on!

“But tasteless!” 

Jing Liang: Let me have a try!

Ni Ni and Jing Liang Playing with Each Other

Jing Liang: Rolling on it is so cool!

Ni Ni: Ok, nothing is better than my bamboo!

　　Then we went to the Giant Panda Cub Enclosure, where keepers were setting the snow landscape.

Snow Landscape Setting

After snow setting, giant pandas went out in turns! It was the first time that they had seen snow, so they looked cautious at the beginning. They walked on it in turns slowly, sniffing here and there and tasting snow now and then. After adapting this new setting, they began to eat bamboo on the snow in different ways, sitting, lying on back, or lying on tummy. It must be awesome to eat on the snow for the first time.

“What’s this?”

“Let me smell.”

Mei Lan was beginning to eat bamboo!

Fu Shun: “Wow, here is so cool!”

Qi Yi began to eat bamboo.

 “Lying on back to eat!”

“Lying on tummy to eat!”

 Eating on the Snow Together

It was heard that these snow was made of high mountain running water in Jiuding Mountain as ingredient by staffs. The snow setting is also a new kind of environmental enrichment.