Singapore-born panda cub Le Le figures out how to climb trees, internet goes wild

Just like a baby learning to take its first steps, panda cub Le Le has captured the internet's hearts with a video of him climbing a tree.

Uploaded yesterday (April 9) on Facebook by the Mandai Wildlife Reserve, the video shows the first panda cub born in Singapore slowly but steadily crawling up the trunk of a tree before making his way onto one of the branches.

[embed]https://www.facebook.com/MandaiWildlifeReserve/videos/660345545047332/[/embed]

The video was accompanied by the caption: "It's all in the head... #LeLe has figured out the secret to climbing trees!

"Using his head (literally) as an extra 'paw' creates the extra pressure needed for Le Le to hold on as he scales the tree. Hugging the tree with his head keeps his centre of gravity directly above his hind legs, which has a stabilising effect. Human rock climbers do the same too!"

Le Le was born to Kai Kai and Jia Jia at the River Safari on Aug 14, 2021.

Netizens gushed over the panda cub's progress — one suggested adding some "playground equipment" for him while another said they weren't able to catch a glimpse of him despite heading down twice.

Climbing a tree might not seem like much, but this won't be the last of Le Le's firsts and it's clear that netizens are here for it and will be following his growth with much joy.

bryanlim@asiaone.com