The mother panda tips her cub upside down and appears to be tickling...They are widely-thought of as being one of the 'cutest' animals in the world.
That may be much to do with the way they look, but in this heart-warming video, a mother's playful nature towards her child has displayed similar traits in a panda's behaviour.
Panda cubs face a tricky few days and weeks after birth, at high risk of disease as well as being smothered by their parents.
...but the cub attempts a getaway...And while the mother in this clip does at times seem forgetful of the tender nature of her cub, viewers at the Chinese enclosure were treated to a real exhibition of family fun.
At times, the mother looks as though she is tickling the infant with her nose, with the cub trying its best to shield its tender areas.
...but the little play thing doesn't get very far and is 'captured' by mumThe little one then makes a dash for it, using its agility to scamper between two wooden beams.
But its tiny legs aren't quite long enough, and mum catches up and nudges it back to the ground.
The whelps of delight from the watching animal enthusiasts go some way to putting the viewer's mind at rest that the whole scene is playful jest, and not parental punishment.
Cue plenty of rolling around, tipping the cub upside down, pawing it to the ground, and scampering after it when it manages to get a foot free.
The giant panda is still on the 'endangered species' list, after deforestation wrecked its natural habitat in areas of China.
Any opportunity to escape the tickling is grabbed by the cute cubsource: read more at dailymail
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