Picky panda's keepers serve treats to mark the occasion.
VIDEO: Kung Foodie Panda: Gourmet Birthday Banquet for Fussy Feeder
Giant panda He Feng celebrates his 4th birthday at Shanghai Zoo, China, on August 9, 2020.
(Shanghai Zoo / Real Press)
The Shanghai Zoo held a birthday surprise for one of its pandas over the weekend.
He Feng, who was born Aug. 9, 2016, was treated to a three-tier birthday cake and a feast. The banquet included a cake made of watermelon, pitaya and orange, decorated with carrot and wotou, a steamed corn bun. It was coated with bamboo leaves and ice.
“He is a real ‘foodie’ who always rushes to his keepers once snacks are ready,” said Pan Xiuwen, a spokesperson for the zoo.
The 4-year-old panda is getting big. The spokesperson said He Feng, nicknamed “White Socks” (for the white fur on his toes), weighs about 110 pounds (50 kilograms).
He Feng was born in Chengdu, in the central province of Sichuan. He came to the zoo a year ago with Xing Guang, a 4-year-old giant panda. The two remain friends and are together all the time, according to zookeepers.
The zoo has 10 pandas. Adult pandas can grow to more than 330 pounds (150 kilograms) and can be 59 inches long (150 centimeters). Pandas typically live 15-to-20 years in the wild and up to 30 years in captivity.
He Fung is far from alone in celebrating his birthday at the zoo. That facility, which is in Changing and houses about 5.000 animals, celebrates about 14 birthdays every day.
(Edited by Stephen Thomas Gugliociello and Matthew Hall)
