Pandas are some of the silliest creatures on Earth.
At first glance, giant pandas can be intimidating. Their large size and sharp teeth and claws might evoke the kind of instinctual fear any bear would.
You definitely don't want to mess with their babies, make them feel threatened or assume they're as cuddly as they look, as they actually can be dangerous. But compared to other bears, giant pandas are pretty chill. This is especially true for pandas in captivity, who aren't just generally docile but downright doofy.
Watching a panda play is like watching a toddler that doesn't quite have their bearings yet. They tumble and stumble and get themselves into conundrums and appear to be having a grand old time doing it, which is what makes the song "Death by Panda" so perfect.
The song, shared by Some Guy Named Robb (Robb McCormick), paints pandas to be terrifying, vicious creatures in a fun, parodying kind of way. Check out these lyrics:
Pandas will melt your face
Turn your bones to paste
Destroy the human race
It's on their 'things to do' list
With a driving beat and intense electric guitar, "Death by Panda" makes a hilarious soundtrack for videos of pandas…well, being pandas. Just watching them walk around is entertaining, but give them some outdoor equipment to play on and OMG the delight
Watch:
The song can be found on Spotify, where you can listen to it in its entirety. And the panda behavior in the video prompted a wave of funny comments highlighting how absurd these creatures really are.
"Kung fu panda makes so much sense now
"
"There’s a reason they’ve been on the endangered species list."
"Never before realized that I have the agility of a panda."
"Panda: the drunken uncle of the bear species."
"Pretty sure all Pandas are part Chris Farley."
"Look... they're here for a good time....not a long time unless we bubble wrap their entire habitat and give em little helmets.
"
"I totally get why Jack Black was Kung Fu Panda."
"The instinctive ability to fall & roll in a controlled way, is their funny survival tactic.
"
"Based on my lack of balance and clumsiness, I may have been a panda in a past life...."
People can be so funny.
But seriously, how do these guys survive in the wild?
In case you're actually wondering about that, pandas used to be on the endangered species list, but have been downgraded to "vulnerable" status. The World Wildlife Fund celebrate giant pandas as living proof of conservation efforts working, as the number of pandas in the wild has grown with protections in place for them and their habitat.
Panda habitats are among the most biodiverse ecosystems in the world, so protecting them helps not only the giant panda but also other threatened and endangered species such as golden snub-nosed monkeys, takins, red pandas and snow leopards.
Climate change, tourism, overharvesting of bamboo and other threats pose challenges giant pandas' future. But we can take inspiration from the fact that conservation has worked for these majestically goofy creatures and keep those efforts going.
