6 Adorable habits of Pandas that are just like humans

There’s no denying that Pandas are one of the most adorable creatures of the animal kingdom, and this may sound bizarre, but these cute creatures have so much in common with humans. Read on as we share some interesting facts about Pandas and how they mirror human traits, such as their love for comfort, sheer dedication to relaxation and even being clumsy. Though they belong to the bear family and live deep in the mountain forests of China, pandas exhibit a series of daily behaviors that are hilariously, undeniably human. From their table manners to their dramatic reactions to life’s minor inconveniences, observing a panda often feels like looking into a furry, black-and-white mirror. Here are six habits of giant pandas that prove they might just be more like us than we think.


Dinner etiquette
Yes, pandas can leave you amazed by sitting up straight to eat dinner. This may be crazy but most four-legged animals eat by leaning down to the ground, but not the panda. Watch a panda enjoy a meal, and you will see them park themselves squarely on their backside, leaning against a tree trunk or a rock like a person sitting on a living room floor watching television. This upright posture leaves their front paws completely free to do the heavy lifting. They treat their food with an almost artistic focus, using an evolved modified wrist bone that acts exactly like a human thumb to grip, rotate, and peel the tough outer layers of bamboo. It is hard to watch them systematically strip a bamboo stalk and not think of someone carefully peeling a banana or handling a piece of corn on the cob.


Food Coma
For a panda, life centers around two main activities: eating and sleeping. Because their digestive systems are actually built like a carnivore's, they struggle to break down the tough cellulose in plant matter efficiently. To get enough nutrients from a nearly 100% bamboo diet, an adult panda has to consume up to 40 pounds of food a day, spending nearly 12 hours munching away. Once that mountain of fiber hits their stomach, pandas experience the ultimate "food coma." Much like a human crashing on the couch after a massive holiday feast, a panda will drop everything, roll onto its back or stomach, and pass out for a solid two to three hours to let their body process the meal.


Sleep Positions
While a standard bear might curl up neatly in a den, a panda treats the entire world as an oversized, custom mattress. They are notoriously picky—and highly creative—about how they get comfortable. This may look strange, but you can find them draped face-down over thick tree branches with all four legs dangling into mid-air, wedged upside down between two rocks, or flat on their backs with their paws resting comfortably over their stomachs. If you have ever tossed and turned on a hot summer night, trying to find that one perfect position where your leg is angled just right over the blanket, you share a soul with a giant panda.


Throwing Tantrums when Frustrated
Pandas may look calm and cuddly, but they possess a flare for the dramatic. When a panda is frustrated, confused, or not getting its way, it doesn't just walk away—it throws a full-on toddler tantrum. If a panda cub tries to climb a tree and slips off a branch, it might face-plant into the grass, roll around in a ball, and swat wildly at the air in a fit of pique. Adults aren't much better; if a keeper moves a favorite toy or a piece of bamboo is just out of reach, a panda might stomp its feet, flop onto its back, and somersault down a hill out of sheer annoyance.


Choosy about food
We all have that friend who is an incredibly picky eater—the one who needs the sauce on the side or refuses to eat the crust on their sandwich. Pandas take this trait to an evolutionary extreme.Despite having the biological capability to eat meat, fruits, and other vegetation, they willfully choose to eat bamboo. Even within that choice, they are remarkably snobbish. A panda won't just eat any stalk; they will spend minutes sniffing, turning, and inspecting a single piece of bamboo, rejecting dozens of perfectly fine stems until they find the one that meets their exact freshness and sweetness standards.

Love for playing
Pandas are masters of energy conservation, which means they dislike unnecessary work, but they absolutely adore pure, unadulterated play. They love sliding down snowy slopes, rolling down grassy hills like children at recess, and wrestling with giant ice blocks or balls provided by keepers.When they aren't playing, they are actively practicing the art of doing nothing. They will sit and stare into space for long stretches of time, seemingly pondering life's great mysteries—or, more likely, wondering when the next delivery of bamboo is arriving. This balance of playful goofiness and a deep dedication to a low-stress lifestyle is perhaps the most relatable human trait of all.