It’s Official: Panda Daycare Is The Cutest Place On Earth

If you thought Disneyland was the happiest place on earth then just wait until you see the Chengdu Research Base in China. It's where Chinese scientists, veterinarians, and conservationists work round the clock to breed and protect new pandas.

Part of their mission includes taking care of newborn pandas in a "panda daycare." And yes, panda daycare does include naptime, playtime, and a jungle gym. Try not to let your heart explode from the cuteness.

These Cubs Are Special

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@greenpeaceusa/Twitter

The Chengdu Research Base has to be very careful when it comes to breeding pandas. Female pandas are only able to breed for two or three days every year. On top of that, they can also only give birth every two years.

Luckily, pandas are known for giving birth to twins. In the wild, usually only one survives, but at Chengdu, the panda daycare workers make sure every panda will survive. These cubs are watched 24/7 to make sure they grow up to be happy, healthy pandas.

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A Day In The Life At Panda Daycare

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Panda daycare is surprisingly like the daycare you might send your own toddler to. The panda cubs spend much of the day playing and socializing with each other. Pandas are naturally curious so the staff leaves out jungle gyms, toys, and swings for the pandas to play on.

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They're served meals on a platter, and the staff like to go the extra mile by serving the bamboo in the shape of a heart. The mothers are present too, and will often be seen teaching smaller cubs how to play.

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Humans Are The Ones Causing All The Problems

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For years, the giant panda has been severely endangered. Even though they don't have many natural predators, their population has been dwindling since the 1980s thanks to humans. Excessive poaching increased but the biggest danger to them is deforestation.

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Pandas live in bamboo forests and have to eat between 26 to 84 pounds of bamboo every day in order to survive. 99% of their diet is bamboo and without enough naturally growing bamboo, they starve to death.

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Panda Daycare Is Actually Working

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After years of being considered "endangered" by the WWF, the panda has officially been classified as "vulnerable" and is on its way to no longer being a concern.

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In 1976, there were an estimated 1,000 wild pandas in the world. Thanks to the Chengdu Research Base and other efforts by the Chinese government, the panda population has increased to over 1,800 worldwide. Of those, 239 live in captivity in China and another 27 live in zoos around the world.

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Their Cuteness Has Definitely Helped Out

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Part of why the giant panda has been able to bounce back from being endangered is their status as being absolutely adorable. Seriously. The panda is one of the world's most adored species.

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Chi Chi the panda at the London Zoo was so popular it served as the inspiration for the WWF to use the panda as its international symbol. The panda has also served as a national symbol for China and was used as a mascot for the Beijing Olympics.