If You Love Pandas, This is the Job for You!

Continue reading...

It’s time to dust off your resume because your ideal job has finally been created! In this adorable Instagram post by panda__reels__, you can see people cuddling pandas, rocking them like newborn babies. But this isn’t artificial intelligence, this is a real job — panda cuddler — carried out by real people who are paid real money to do it. In short, it’s a dream job only a select few will ever experience. Here we will research what must be one of the best career choices on the planet.

Where Can You Work as a Panda Cuddler?

According to China Daily, the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding based in the Sichuan Province of China employs panda cuddlers and has been doing so for around a decade. The job brings an average annual salary of $32,000 (200,000 yuan) per year, but you need to be over 22 years of age to land the position.

The job description includes taking pictures of baby pandas as well as hugging and holding them. The hours are grueling — basically 365 days a year. On the plus side, you get the use of an SUV, free accommodations, and free meals.

Qualifications for a Panda Cuddler Career

So, what sort of qualifications do you need for this amazing job? Apparently, you are required to have a basic knowledge of pandas, good writing skills, and be able to take photographs.

Facilities at the center are fairly basic and you will be working alongside volunteers who come from several different countries, including the U.S., Europe, and Japan.

The baby pandas are in captivity and therefore do not get the stimulation that they would get in the wild. That is where the panda cuddler comes in.

Where Do You Find Pandas?

The pandas featured in the above clip are giant panda bears (Ailuropoda melanoleuca). Their wild populations are now limited to the provinces of Sichuan, Gansu, and Shanxi in the central part of China. However, there are many research/breeding centers in China, including the one in the Instagram post.

In the wild, they live in montane forests and mixed coniferous and broadleaf forests where they can find plenty of bamboo to eat. Sadly, thanks to habitat loss and human encroachment, there is only enough bamboo left in China to support 1,000 wild pandas.

Do Pandas Cuddle Each Other?

Not really. Pandas are a solitary species, so they live alone without physical contact with other pandas during most of their lives. The exception to this is obviously during mating season.

However, mother bears are very physically affectionate towards their cubs. Mother pandas are often seen playing with their cubs and some have even been caught waking up their infants so that they can play with them! This explains why the cubs enjoy the company of the human cuddler so much.

Time to dust off that resume!