Vienna, Austria – The two giant pandas at Schönbrunn Zoo are embracing the winter weather, delighting visitors with their playful antics in the snow.

“This weather is reminiscent of that in Chinese mountain forests and is therefore perfect for the giant pandas,” said Zoo Director Dr. Stephan Hering-Hagenbeck. “With a bit of luck, visitors can watch the two frolicking in the snow in their respective enclosures. The male and female really encourage each other to romp around in the winter landscape.”

On snowy days, the pandas abandon their usual routine of eating and resting. Instead, they climb snow-covered tree trunks, roll in the snow, and playfully interact, with only the black patches around their eyes visible at first glance.

Visitors often warm up in the Imperial Pavilion or Orangery, but the pandas show no discomfort in the cold. “Pandas have a thick coat of fur that keeps them warm. Even the soles of their paws are covered in fur. This also prevents them from slipping on snow and ice,” explained Dr. Eveline Dungl, zoological curator at the zoo.

The animals’ stocky build and short limbs help reduce heat loss, a crucial adaptation for surviving in their natural habitat, the mountain forests of southeastern China.

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