The Smithsonian’s National Zoo celebrated giant panda Qing Bao’s fourth birthday on Friday with a festive spread of treats, toys and a panda-safe cake, marking the bear’s first official party since arriving at the zoo last October.
Zookeepers placed a large pink cake beside a number four, scattered boxes of treats through the enclosure and gifted Qing Bao a shiny new ball, which she batted from a branch before settling in to sample the goodies. "It’s been really fun to see her personality emerge," Laurie Thompson, the assistant curator of giant pandas, said in a statement. "She was very reserved and cautious when she arrived, but now she is much more confident!"
The zoo said the cake was made from a panda-friendly recipe of pineapple, frozen diluted beet and apple juices. Staff also prepared boxes of sweet potatoes and other enrichment items labeled for the occasion, including one that read "4-Ever Sweet," which attracted the panda’s attention. After enjoying the treats, Qing Bao climbed into a nearby tree and napped, a behavior zoo staff said is typical after a large meal.
Qing Bao and her enclosure mate Bao Li are among a small number of giant pandas living outside China under long-term agreements. The two pandas arrived at the National Zoo last fall. Three other pandas that previously lived at the zoo were returned to China amid tensions between Washington and Beijing.
Under the current agreement, Qing Bao and Bao Li are scheduled to remain at the National Zoo for another nine years. The zoo pays an annual fee of $1 million to the China Wildlife Conservation Association; the institution says the fee is covered by visitors, members and private donors.
Zookeepers and staff described the birthday as an opportunity for enrichment and public engagement, noting that visitors have responded to the pandas with strong interest since their arrival. The pandas remain the property of China, and their presence at foreign institutions is managed through conservation and loan agreements intended to support research, breeding and public education.
The celebration offered a look at daily care routines for giant pandas in human care—dietary planning, environmental enrichment and monitoring of behavior—while highlighting the broader diplomatic and financial arrangements that govern the animals’ stays outside China.