Giant Pandas Bao Li and Qing Bao Socialize in the Snow

Snow wasn't the only thing in the air during the storm! 💕 On Sunday, Bao Li and Qing Bao spent a lot of time interacting with each other through the “howdy” gate — a mesh screen that separates the two panda habitats— with adorable results! Giant pandas tend to prefer their own space and usually only share habitat when they’re ready to reproduce, which is why they are housed separately at the Zoo. At just four years old, both Bao Li and Qing Bao are still a few years away from sexual maturity, which occurs around five to six years old. But keepers say the “teenage” pandas have expressed growing interest in each other lately, sharing greetings by bleating and pressing their noses against the gate. Or in Bao Li’s case, by showing off his impressive somersaulting skills. Tune into our Panda Cam to catch all the antics by visiting https://s.si.edu/4rbOlOt Credit: Smithsonian Video description: a compilation of scenes filmed via the National Zoo's panda cam. The first scene shows Bao Li in his yard with Qing Bao on the other side of a paneled fence. Qing Bao watches him through a window-like mesh screen. Bao Li stands on a stump before the window, before running off screen and back on screen to settle in front of Qing Bao. In the next scene, Qing Bao watches through the window as Bao Li rolls in the snow before her. The vantage point returns to Bao Li's side of the fence, where he is digging in the snow, somersaulting and jumping directly in front of Qing Bao. The video zooms out, showing Bao Li climbing a tall tree and climbing out along a branch and hanging off of it. Qing Bao continues to watch him through the window. Bao Li then climbs down from the tree and returns to her, before frolicking off screen.