Bei Bei (BAY-BAY) turned 4 years old today, Aug. 22. The Department of Nutrition Science at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo made him a panda-friendly frozen cake as a birthday treat. Keepers placed the cake made of his favorite foods including diluted apple and grape juice, leaf-eater biscuits, applesauce, apples, pears, bananas, carrots, cooked sweet potatoes and sugar cane in his yard at 9 a.m. Bei Bei was born at the Zoo but will move to China now that he is 4 years old as stipulated in the Zoo’s giant panda breeding agreement. The preparations for his move are well underway and include working with other federal agencies, researching travel logistics, coordinating with colleagues in China and preparing Bei Bei for the move. A date for his move has not been finalized, but it will occur in the coming months.
