🐼💕🌿Curious cubbie slithers languidly around mouthing twigs leaves & boo grass under the blazing sun🌞

It was a hot and humid morning last Thursday. I found Papa Tian sitting right in the doorway of the gate, enjoying sugarcane out of a container there. Walking on to Mei's yard, I saw sweet Xiao Qi Ji was there mouthing the boo grass while Mei enjoyed sugarcane near the gate. He is so diligent, always practicing his chewing skills and aiming the leaves inside his mouth. We can see here very clearly how he isn't swallowing the majority and he pushes it out with his tongue after chewing a while.

Then he ventured up the hammock structure, albeit not as energetically as usual, more like a sluggish floppy slither up the logs and onto the hammock. There were a couple times he leaned back so far over the side of the hammock he was looking at us upside down. Pretty sure he knew we were there watching & admiring him! He found assorted twigs & dead leaves, and proceeded to mouth all of it. It looks like he's actually swallowing the dried up leaves and picking his teeth with the twigs 🤭

Mei is let back inside, gate is closed and keeper Mariel comes out with another keeper to clean up the yard. Xiao Qi Ji hears them and peers at them curiously from the hammock. He knows those are his second mommies and that they love him so no fear! After a bit more slithering and lolling to wind down, he finally falls into a slumber in a family nap time with mama Mei & papa Tian.

Thanks for watching! This video was shot in person at Smithsonian's National Zoo by me, with my trusty camcorder.

Видео 🐼💕🌿Curious cubbie slithers languidly around mouthing twigs leaves & boo grass under the blazing sun🌞 канала Tai Wang