An adorable panda has stolen hearts by playing in snow
Two-year-old Katyusha could be seen coasting head-first down a snow-covered slide in her enclosure, much to the delight of visitors.
She was then spotted scratching her ear with her foot before dangling head-first above the snow and flicking powder around with her paw.
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The heart-warming clip was shared by Moscow Zoo on Tuesday (16 Jan), following heavy snowfall in the Russian capital.
“Our little mischief-maker Katyusha showed exactly how to make an epic entrance into the enclosure after the snowfall,” the park wrote.
Moscow and the surrounding areas were blanketed in snow by Storm Francis last Friday (9 Jan), with blizzards and snowdrifts reaching up to 50cm in places.
Katyusha was born to parents Dindin and Zhui on 24 August 2023, marking the first giant panda birth in all of Russia, as reported by What’s The Jam.
She weighed just 5.3oz at birth and only opened her eyes for the first time at 42 days old. Her name, chosen via an online vote, was announced on 3 January 2024.
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Her parents arrived in Moscow in April 2019 and are fed bamboo supplied from China and a nursery in the Netherlands.
When she turns four, Katyusha will be relocated to China. Moscow Zoo officials hope she will meet a younger brother or sister beforehand.
There are only 1,864 giant pandas – endemic to China – left in the wild, according to the WWF. Another 600 or so are cared for in zoos worldwide.
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Threats to the species’ survival include habitat destruction and fragmentation, as well as a very low birthrate.
Ekaterina commented: “Katyusha is such a cutie! She’s loving the winter to the fullest!”
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