Heading to China this winter? Hug a panda for us!
Ever wish you could hug a panda? You finally can.
All it takes is a hefty $330 "donation" — and a trip to China (sorry, folks. This opportunity is not offered at Canadian zoos).
At the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in Sichuan Province, China, you can pay for the opportunity to hang out with one of its adorable pandas.
It should be noted that while the pandas at the research base are well-accustomed to human contact and are deemed safe to hug under proper supervision, most pandas aren't as human-friendly. As a general rule, it's probably best to leave them alone.
"Giant pandas' teeth, claws, fleas, ticks and mites mean you probably don't want to give them a hug," Steven Price, Canada’s senior conservation director at the World Wildlife Fund, told the Toronto Star earlier this year.
So if you can't make the trip to Chengdu, it looks like you'll have to settle for watching the 24/7 Panda Cam. (Goodbye, productivity.)