The Shanghai Zoo in China got to celebrate the eighth birthday of one of their giant pandas, and it looked like the party was a success! ABC News posted a video of the birthday boy, Xing Guang, on Tuesday, June 25th. He celebrated the day with a birthday cake just for him full of his favorite treats.

The video shows the custom-made birthday cake being made. It was five tiers high and featured all of Xing Guang’s favorite things. It included watermelon, apples, squash and others delicious treats, including what looked like a ‘cookie’ of some kind. I wonder if the birthday boy was willing to share with anybody else.

It looks like he enjoyed his cake, especially that apple! ABC News commenters all agreed that the birthday boy was definitely a cutie. They also left him some birthday wishes. It was a great day at the Shanghai Zoo!

Related: San Francisco Zoo Is About To Get First Giant Pandas in Decades

Giant Pandas Are Coming Back to the U.S.

According to Smithsonian Magazine, for the first time in more than 20 years, China has agreed to send pandas our way. The San Diego Zoo is expecting their pandas to arrive this year and zookeepers and researchers are looking forward to the opportunity to study pandas. Interestingly, a 2022 report by America’s Congressional Research Service explained, “Zoos typically pay a fee of $1 million a year for two pandas, with the money earmarked for China’s conservation efforts.” It’s not cheap to have the honor of homing pandas.

The news of pandas returning to the states is big news. Pandas are a symbol of friendship in China, and strains between the two nations over the past several years caused China to not renew their panda loans with many zoos. San Diego Zoo sadly said goodbye to their pandas in 2019, the Memphis Zoo had to send home their panda in April of 2023, and D.C. bid farewell to their pandas in November 2023. The only pandas that remained on U.S. soil are the four that live at Zoo Atlanta. A Belgian zoo as well as a South Korean Zoo also have giant pandas, with others sprinkled across the world.

Washington D.C. Zoo is also getting two pandas later this year. The 2-year-old pandas, male Bao Li and female Qi ng Bao, will remain there under a 10-year breeding and research agreement. How will these pandas get delivered to their new homes? Via Fed Ex! NBC shared on their website, “FedEx is set to fly the new pair to the United States via its “Panda Express service.” The animals will be quarantined for at least 30 days, and then allowed to settle in for a few weeks before the panda exhibit opens to the public.” Another article in East Bay Times shared, “Chinese experts would travel with the bears and spend months in San Diego.”

I live in Georgia near Atlanta and had no idea that they had pandas at the zoo here! I can’t wait to make a day of it to visit the zoo and see the pandas; I’ve always wanted to see one in person!

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