TAIPEI, July 6 (Xinhua) -- Taipei's beloved star panda Yuan Zai, the first giant panda born in Taiwan and the offspring of a panda pair gifted by the Chinese mainland, celebrated her 13th birthday on Monday with a soccer-themed feast at the Taipei Zoo.
Drawing inspiration from the ongoing World Cup matches, zookeepers prepared an elaborate birthday spread for the giant panda, complete with a "football field" made of bamboo leaves, an ice football, a sugarcane goalpost, and a trophy sculpted from a carrot and an apple. A panda figurine bearing the number 13 was added to the celebration's World Cup theme.
Although the Taipei Zoo is temporarily closed to the public for maintenance, the celebration was livestreamed on the zoo's Facebook page, allowing panda enthusiasts to join the festivities virtually. Within minutes of the broadcast, online viewership exceeded 400, while the comment section filled with warm messages from fans.
"Happy birthday, Zai Zai!" one viewer wrote, while another wished the panda "a healthy and joyful panda life."
Born in 2013 to Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan -- the first giant pandas sent from the mainland to Taiwan in 2008 as a gesture of goodwill -- Yuan Zai has become one of the zoo's most cherished residents. She now lives alongside her mother Yuan Yuan and younger sister Yuan Bao following the death of Tuan Tuan from a brain tumor in 2022 at the age of 18.
Now a mature female panda, Yuan Zai is currently experiencing pseudopregnancy, a condition that has led to noticeable behavioral changes, including reduced appetite, decreased activity and longer sleeping hours, according to zoo officials.
Caretakers said the specially designed birthday treats also serve as a form of behavioral enrichment, encouraging the panda to exercise her natural instincts to explore and forage.
The celebration came just days after Yuan Bao marked her sixth birthday at the zoo in a similarly livestreamed event, reflecting the enduring popularity of Taipei Zoo's panda family.
Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan, both born in southwest China's Sichuan Province in 2004, arrived in Taiwan in late 2008 after years of delays and repeated obstructions by the then Democratic Progressive Party authorities.
The pair made their public debut at the Taipei Zoo in 2009, drawing enormous public interest and helping the zoo attract a record 3.6 million visitors that year. That figure was later surpassed in 2014, when Yuan Zai was first introduced to the public.
The panda pair's names carry symbolic significance. Chosen through a nationwide vote involving more than 100 million viewers during China's 2006 Spring Festival Gala, Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan together form the phrase "tuan yuan," meaning reunion and a reflection of hopes for closer ties across the Taiwan Strait.
Over the years, the panda family has cultivated a devoted following in Taiwan, with birthday celebrations routinely drawing large crowds and fan clubs attracting members from across the island.
Mainland experts have also maintained close cooperation with the Taipei Zoo, assisting during Yuan Yuan's delivery and later providing support when Tuan Tuan fell ill.
Even during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the pandas continued to inspire cross-Strait goodwill. At Yuan Zai's seventh birthday, mainland experts and panda enthusiasts sent birthday greetings through an online video link. ■
