lookit me!

Belated update from april 19, from the national zoo:

walk this way
"We have seen Tai Shan display an interesting behavior. When he approaches Mei Xiang, he will sometimes back up into her. We have also noticed this behavior when we walk toward him in the yard. He will stop in his tracks and stare at us. As we approach, he will swivel around and watch us from a sideways stance. As we get even closer, he will present his rear end and also back into us. This demeanor is quickly followed by a lunge for our legs, which we foil with toys.
In many species the rear presentation is considered submissive behavior, and there are probably elements of this in Tai's version. It also may simply be a way to initiate play. However, we also have seen him take this approach when given a tub of water for the first time, so perhaps he is also just being cautious and presenting his very padded end first, on those rare occasions when he is not quite so sure of himself. In the case of the tub, he backed up slowly, only to dip one hind foot lightly to break the surface of the water before turning his attention to more ordinary pursuits."