Giant pandas roll, play in snow

Mei Xiang and Tian Tian frolicked in the snow on Jan. 31 at the Smithsonian National Zoo as the District was blanketed in snow. (Video: National Zoo)

Humans weren’t the only ones having fun in the weekend snowfall.

The National Zoo’s giant pandas rolled, slid and played in the D.C. region’s first major snowfall of the year. Officials said giant pandas Mei Xiang and Tian Tian enjoyed Sunday’s snowfall.

❄️🐼 Slides, somersaults and pure panda joy. Happy snow day from giant pandas Mei Xiang and Tian Tian! 🌨🐾
. . . #SnowDay #PandaStory pic.twitter.com/my02GwnPFL

— National Zoo (@NationalZoo) January 31, 2021

And giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji experienced his first snowfall. Zookeepers said the panda cub was “very interested in looking around the zookeepers’ space and took a ‘nip’ at the snow.” Cautious, however, Xiao Qi Ji “did not go out into the giant panda’s outdoor habitat, rather the area just outside his indoor habitat.”

Officials said he was “outside for about five minutes” Sunday.

Zoo officials said other animals at the facility in Northwest Washington also enjoyed the winter wonderland.

❄️ As snow blanketed Washington, D.C., our animals woke up to a winter wonderland. With this weather event came another significant milestone—giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji’s first encounter with snow! Keepers say he took a little nip at the fresh powder. 🐾👅#SnowDay #PandaStory pic.twitter.com/8hYfYuoP5f

— National Zoo (@NationalZoo) January 31, 2021