A beloved giant panda celebrated her 23rd birthday with a special feast and birthday treats organised by zoo staff.
It was also the first birthday that the panda, named Ya-ya, celebrated in her homeland China after living in the US for the past 20 years.
Her keepers at Beijing Zoo, in the Chinese capital, prepared a special birthday cake made from steamed vegetable buns shaped like a panda and decorated her enclosure with bamboo adornments marked with “Hello, 23” in Chinese.
Video footage – shared on the Chinese social platform Weibo – shows zoo staff putting together the special celebration.
Keepers then bring the customised cake to Ya-ya, who can later be seen snacking on some delicious bamboo and curiously exploring the decorations.
The zoo has also launched an online commemorative seal featuring a giant panda surrounded by bamboo and daylilies wishing Ya-ya a happy birthday and healthy growth.
Ya-ya was less than three years old when she was transported from Bejing Zoo to Memphis Zoo, in the US State of Tennessee, in April 2003.
She returned to Beijing after living there for the past 20 years as a part of a joint research and conservation project.
She came back to her home country on 27th April and spent nearly a month in quarantine in Shanghai.
And on 29th May, she was finally moved back into her home at Beijing Zoo.
The giant panda is the rarest member of the bear species that is endemic to China.
A giant panda’s diet mainly consists of bamboo, which makes up around 99 per cent of its diet.
The typical life expectancy of wild pandas is around 15 to 20 years, while those in captivity can live up to 30 years or more.
The giant panda has been listed as ‘vulnerable’ on the IUCN’s Red List.
To find out more about the author, editor or agency that supplied this story – please click below.
Story By: Simona Kitanovska, Sub-Editor: Marija Stojkoska, Agency: Asia Wire Report
The Ananova page is created by and dedicated to professional, independent freelance journalists. It is a place for us to showcase our work. When our news is sold to our media partners, we will include the link here.
