“This is like a scene from Goldilocks!” said one visitor after witnessing four charming pandas enjoying a feast of bamboo sticks at a miniature picnic table, stealing the hearts of visitors and viewers alike in Chongqing Zoo, China.
The bears, Shuangshuang, Chongchong, Xixi, and Qingqing, took their seats around the wooden table, peeling and munching on fresh bamboo shoots as part of a Mid-Autumn Festival celebration, in a scene that looked straight out of a fairytale book.
The playful event didn’t stop there, as after their meal, the pandas went to play, sliding down a nearby slide headfirst, melting the attendant’s hearts.
“Pandas are just the best, we can’t help but love them!” wrote one viewer.
Pandas melted the hearts of visitors at a Chinese zoo after sitting at a table to eat bamboo in a scene that seemed taken straight out of the Goldilocks fairytale.
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Located in southwest China, the zoo cares for 23 pandas, including the four stars of the fairytale scene. The Congqing reserve has long been known for its wholesome residents, who regularly upload videos of their day-to-day activities.
The human-like way the bears gathered at the table and chairs to snack on bamboo was so uncanny that some viewers even speculated whether the animals were actually humans in costumes putting on a show.
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“They have better table manners than most of my dates,” joked one.
“Are we sure they are not men in suits?” asked another.
Shuangshuang and Chongchong, male twins, along with female twins Xixi and Qingqing, were the stars of this Mid-Autumn Festival feast, showing off their playful and social nature.
With their round bodies, big eyes, and playful demeanor, pandas are inherently cute to humans. Scientists call this phenomenon “neoteny”
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Why are pandas so cute to us? Turns out, neuroscientists might have the answer.
Coined as “neoteny” in 1885 by German zoologist Julius Kollmann, the term refers to a biological process through which an animal slows its development, and thus, retains features usually associated with children well into adulthood.
Neoteny is a prevalent feature of our species’ development, as humans are the most neotenous of all primates.
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An easy way to understand this phenomenon is to compare the size of a wolf’s skull to that of a poodle. The more domesticated the animal becomes, the more dependent it is on the care of others, and thus, the more its features resemble those of children or, in this case, pups.
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Studies on the evolutionary merits of cuteness have theorized that it acts as a protective mechanism. Humans, as social creatures, have evolved to respond to childlike features in an animal with a need to protect and take care of it.
Pandas have evolved some features to protect themselves from harm, but, coincidentally, those same adaptations make them look wholesome and cute to humans.
But how does neoteny relate to pandas? Their features are highly neotenous. In layman’s terms, they look like giant, fluffy baby bears, even in adulthood.
Their signature black “mask” around their eyes is a deterrent to potential predators, making them look scary and threatening. For humans however, whose brains are wired differently, it makes their eyes look bigger and has the opposite effect.
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Their round, soft bodies, and their propensity to roll around remind us of how human babies look, with short, stumpy arms and legs, and big heads. Their anatomy is also very similar to that of primates in certain aspects, making them look very similar to us when performing certain actions.
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“They eat sitting up using their hands and their special pseudo thumb, which is a modified wrist bone,” explained Ron Swaisgood, Director of Applied Animal Ecology, San Diego Zoo Institute, to the BBC.
“Our own young have characteristics that humans respond to, such as a big, round head, large eyes, a high forehead, and a roly-poly body. We are programmed to respond to these babyish looks. Babies just make us like them and want to care for them. It is part of our human makeup,” he added.
Netizens continued to argue whether the animals featured in the clip were humans in costumes, while others shared their love for these cuddly creatures
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“Rubbish! These are just blokes in suits!” a reader argued.
“These pandas are just too perfect, they’ve got to be humans in costumes,” another theorized.
“If I could choose another career, I’d love to be a baby panda attendant,” one viewer said. “I’ve watched videos over the years and they are so entertaining and yes, humanlike. Pandas are so unique.”
“I read about this one panda that makes a grimacing face when it breaks bamboo to eat. He does this because his human trainer taught him how to break bamboo, and it was really hard for the human, so he would make that face. They are adorable,” recounted another.
“Pandas are just the best!”
“Pass the bamboo please!” wrote one fan, as others joined in to marvel at the pandas’ cuteness
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