This is the heartwarming moment a baby panda does its best to climb a tree in its sunny enclosure at Moscow Zoo in Russia.

Katyusha, Russia’s first panda cub, can be seen actively exploring its enclosure, getting to know its surroundings, and practicing its climbing skills.

The images were obtained from Moscow Zoo with a statement saying: “And this is how Katyusha mastered trees. Natural climber.”

Katyusha is the first giant panda to be born in Russia, in August 2023. Her parents are a male named Ru Yi and a female named Ding Ding.

The name “Katyusha” was selected among the votes in a name contest that attracted more than 380,000 participants.

In preparation for the panda’s arrival in 2019, Moscow Zoo renovated its pens and enclosure.

Its employees had undergone several months of training at a Chinese panda breeding centre to ensure proper care of the animals.

At the time, Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin noted that the transfer of pandas to another country was a “sign of great trust”.

Ru Yi and Ding Ding were brought to Moscow to mark the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

According to an agreement, two employees from China will stay in the zoo for at least 120 days a year for 15 years, supervising and training Russian employees.