TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taipei Zoo's giant panda Yuan Zai celebrated its 10th birthday on Thursday (July 6) with a custom birthday cake using the panda's favorite daily treats: grapes, carrots, kiwi, sugarcane, and pineapple.
Chen I-tsung, director of the zoo, explained that Yuan Zai's 10th birthday is not just a celebration for the giant panda. The birth of Yuan Zai has been an inspiration for the zoo, as it symbolized the team’s advancements in artificial reproduction, nurturing, and medical care of wildlife. Furthermore, the expertise and network developed through this experience have greatly benefited the care of other endangered animals.
The first-ever Taiwan-born giant panda cub, Yuan Zai, has also become a symbol of a unique social movement in Taiwan, capturing the attention and affection of the public as they follow its growth journey. Yuan Zai has brought warmth, harmony, and solace to countless individuals, alleviating their anxieties and concerns.
Regarding Yuan Zai's recent health condition, the zoo explained that despite the birthday celebration, the panda is currently in its pseudopregnancy period. As a result, its appetite, feces output, and activity level have decreased, leading Yuan Zai to appear lethargic and uninterested in food most of the time.
Nevertheless, the keepers have devotedly prepared a birthday cake for "Yuan Zai" this morning. They've also invited its fellow "black and white friends," a chimpanzee and a Black-and-white ruffed lemur, who were born in the same year as Yuan Zai, to join in the celebration.
A video made by Taipei Zoo highlighting Yuan Zai's growth journey and story since birth can be found at: https://youtu.be/NIfHE0EY3WU.
