These Panda Selfies Are The Opposite Of Cute

Panda selfies just surfaced from a massive panda breeding center in China, sparking a flurry of “awws” on one side and raised eyebrows on the other. Giant panda breeding in China is a complicated industry, with apparently good intentions — saving the giant panda from extinction — and big bucks at stake.

h/t: thedodo

Although it was elsewhere reported that the panda shown in the recent selfies — who lives at the Dujiangyan Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding — is participating in a release program, Suzanne Braden, director of Pandas International, said this is incorrect.

“Yes the cute panda having his picture taken is at the Dujiangyan Panda Base, but this base does not participate in the reintroduction program,” Braden told The Dodo. “The reintroduction program is in Wolong at two bases totally off-limits to the public. No panda in the reintroduction program comes in contact with humans.”