A major snowstorm hit the East Coast on Monday and the giant pandas at the Smithsonian's National Zoo took full advantage of their new winter wonderland.
The zoo in Washington D.C. posted a video of panda cub Xiao Qi Ji enjoying the fresh snowfall and the little guy just can't get enough.
In the video, the 16-month-old cub somersaults and slides down a slope in his habitat, then starts wrestling with another giant panda.
The zoo said it's the first time Xiao Qi Ji, pronounced SHIAU-chi-ji, has enjoyed a snow day.
"❄️🐼 New year, new Xiao Qi Ji! In January 2021, our giant panda cub was a little wary during his first encounter with snow," the National Zoo posted a video on its official Facebook account. "[Monday] morning, the 16-month-old plowed face-first into the fresh powder, rolled around and relished the year's first #SnowDay. His belly-sliding skills are 10/10! 🐾"
Xiao Qi Ji translates to "little miracle" in English. He was born August 21, 2020 to mother Mei Xiang (may-SHONG) and father Tian Tian (tee-YEN tee-YEN). His birth was streamed live on the zoo's Giant Panda Cam, and since then more than 1.5 million virtual visitors have tuned in to watch him grow. At his last weigh-in on December 21, Xiao Qi Ji tipped the scales at 89 pounds.
The zoo posted a video of other animals enjoying the snow as well. The storm dumped more than a foot of snow on parts of the D.C. area Monday.
"❄️🐻🐘 Everyone is getting into the #SnowDay spirit," the zoo wrote. "At the Zoo in Washington, D.C., sloth bears Niko and Deemak had a wintry wrestle while American Bison Lucy and Gally and Asian elephant Swarna grazed peacefully. 🐆 At SCBI in Front Royal, VA, cheetah mom Rosalie and her cubs awoke to a snowy surprise!"
The Washington, D.C. region was hit with its biggest snowstorm in years on Monday, with some parts of the region getting over a foot of snow, reports the Washington Post.
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