Scottish News: First UK birthday for giant panda

Gao Gao at the San Diego Zoo, California, US on August 4,...

One of the UK's two pandas has celebrated his first birthday on British soil as he turned nine.

Keepers at Edinburgh Zoo made a special cake in the shape of a panda's head for birthday boy Yang Guang, as well as spreading bamboo treats throughout his enclosure.

He took his time to explore and munch on the different-sized boxes made from some of his favourite varieties of bamboo poles. The presents were smeared with honey and concealed chunks of apple and carrot for him to discover.

His birthday comes just 10 days before that of the zoo's other panda, female Tian Tian, who turns nine on August 24.



The pair have become a popular attraction since they arrived in Scotland from the Ya'an reserve in Chengdu, China, on December 4 last year, going on show to visitors for the first time on December 16.

Alison Maclean, panda keeper at the zoo, said: "We knew their first birthdays on Scottish soil would be very important to us. We had to think about what we were going to get them for their birthday because what do you get a panda?

"The answer to that is bamboo, so we have had to modify what we are doing and we've made some boxes out of bamboo and put some tasty treats in them wrapped in bamboo leaf."

She added: "He is doing very well. He's a bit quiet at the moment but that's because of the heat we have been having in Scotland. Both of them seem to enjoy their time resting in the indoor area where it is nice and cool or sometimes going into the pool.

"They've both settled extremely well and we're very pleased with their progress."

Tian Tian (meaning Sweetie) and Yang Guang (Sunshine) are the first giant pandas to live in the UK for 17 years and Edinburgh Zoo will be their home for the next 10 years.