US National Zoo’s giant panda Bei Bei turns four, soon to depart for China

The roly-poly black-and-white bear was treated to a colourful frozen cake made of fruit, carrots, sweet potatoes, sugar cane and bamboo

He will soon be shipped to China, under the terms of the ‘loan agreement’ that all giant pandas are subject to worldwide

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Giant panda Bei Bei with his frozen birthday cake at the Smithsonian National Zoo. Photo: AFP

Published: 1:23pm, 23 Aug 2019Updated: 2:18pm, 23 Aug 2019

He did not blow out any candles, but giant panda Bei Bei appeared to enjoy celebrating his fourth birthday at the United States’s Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington on Thursday, his last before being shipped to China.

The roly-poly black-and-white bear, one of the zoo’s star attractions, was treated to a colourful “panda-friendly” frozen cake made of fruit, carrots, sweet potatoes, sugar cane and bamboo, the zoo announced.

Bei Bei will soon be shipped to China, now that he has turned four. Photo: AFP

The birthday celebration for Bei Bei could be viewed live thanks to the zoo’s “Panda Cam”, which broadcasts scenes of the four-year-old and his siblings and parents from their enclosure round-the-clock.

Bei Bei will soon be shipped to China, under the terms of the “loan agreement” that all giant pandas are subject to worldwide. The same fate awaits his sister Bao Bao and their brother Tai Shan.

Their parents Mei Xiang and Tian Tian will remain in Washington at least until next year.