Mei Xiang and Tian Tian enjoyed the fresh snow in Washington, DC (Credit: Smithsonian s National Zoo/YouTube screen capture)
This week s severe winter storm, which dumped record amounts of snow in the Mid-Atlantic and the Northeast, had most residents scrambling for the safety and warmth of their homes. However, the animals at the Smithsonian s National Zoo were not going to let Washington, DC s first significant snowfall in two years go to waste.
The zoo s adult giant pandas 22-year-old Mei Xiang and 23-year-old Tian Tian were the first to venture out to frolic in the fresh powder. In a video released by officials on February 1, 2021, the two are seen sliding downhill, doing somersaults, and just having a good time playing in the icy precipitation.