#DCPandas: Happy 4th Birthday, Qing Bao!

Join us in wishing our “4-ever sweet” giant panda Qing Bao a happy 4th birthday! Shortly after 9 a.m., animal care staff presented her with a special panda-friendly fruitsicle cake made by the Zoo’s Department of Nutrition Science. Commissary keepers crafted the multi-tiered cake using frozen-diluted beet, pineapple and apple juices mixed with water. A giant number 4 adorned the cake, which was decorated with some of Qing Bao's favorite treats, including apples, shredded carrots, sweet potato puree, blueberries, strawberries and peaches. Virtual visitors tuned into the Zoo’s Giant Panda Cam, sponsored by The Boeing Company, to watch Qing Bao enjoy her birthday festivities.

Qing Bao took a very mindful, very demure journey to her party. Keepers hung her birthday gift—a new navy blue jolly ball—from a tree branch. Near the cake were several pink, purple and yellow enrichment boxes, each with a special message. After she batted the ball from the tree, Qing Bao ambled over to the box branded with “QB Pie" and nibbled on the corners. Soon, she spotted the “4-Ever Sweet” box and ripped into it, revealing the cooked sweet potato hidden inside. She saved her fruitsicle cake for last, plucked the “4” off the top, and sampled a few fruits. Then, she climbed a tree and nestled into the fork for a post-party snooze. 

This marks Qing Bao’s first birthday at the Zoo since she arrived in Washington, D.C. on Oct. 15, 2024 with male giant panda Bao Li, who turned 4 on Aug. 4. The giant panda team affectionately describes Qing Bao as intelligent, curious and inquisitive. 

“It's been really fun to see her personality emerge,” said Laurie Thompson, assistant curator of giant pandas. “She was very reserved and cautious when she arrived, but now she is much more confident! She's also become more interested in interacting with keepers. She waits for both keepers to say goodnight to her before she will go inside for the evening.” 

Want to give Qing Bao a birthday gift? Make her day extra special by pledging to support panda conservation efforts around the globe. On behalf of our #DCPandas and all the animals we care for: thank you!