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Giant panda Yaji celebrates his 10th birthday with 15-pound bamboo cake on May 26 at Ji'nan Zoo in East China's Shandong Province. Photo: Screenshot from state-owned broadcaster CCTV

On May 26, giant panda Yaji celebrated his 10th birthday at a zoo in East China's Shandong Province. The Ji'nan Zoo prepared a 15-pound birthday cake made of bamboo for him, along with a set of ten bamboo toys, including bamboo shoots and apples. 

Zoo officials said that a panda's tenth birthday is equivalent to a human's 30th birthday, and they all wished for Yaji's health and happiness.

The atmosphere at the zoo was bubbling as a large number of visitors gathered at the panda enclosure to celebrate Yaji's birthday. The outdoor pavilion was decorated with fresh bamboo and flowers to create a warm and festive ambiance.

Yaji, a male giant panda, was born on May 26, 2014, at the Bifengxia Giant Panda Base in Ya'an, Southwest China's Sichuan Province. In September 2017, he moved to the Jinan Zoo.

The new panda enclosure where Yaji currently lives at the Ji'nan Zoo officially opened its doors to the public on September 28, 2023. The new enclosure features a private yard, a living room, two bedrooms, and a large garden, providing a comfortable and spacious environment for the pandas to thrive.

Global Times