Giant Panda Bao Li Celebrates 5th Birthday in Washington

Giant panda Bao Li celebrated his fifth birthday on Tuesday with a shark-themed party at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute in Washington, D.C., drawing hundreds of visitors to the David M. Rubenstein Family Giant Panda Habitat. The celebration marked the second birthday the male panda has spent in the United States since his arrival from China in October 2024.

A Shark-Themed Celebration

The party’s underwater theme was inspired by a stripe of longer fur running down the middle of Bao Li’s back, which keepers affectionately call his “shark fin.” According to the Smithsonian National Zoo, the Zoo’s Department of Nutrition Science prepared a panda-friendly fruitsicle cake using frozen diluted apple and pineapple juices, topped with a gray shark fin, “minnows” carved from sweet potatoes, blueberry “bubbles,” a carrot carved into a palm tree, and “sand” made of crushed leafeater biscuits.

Keepers also presented Bao Li with a boat fender — one of his favorite inflatable enrichment toys — wrapped in a blue box inscribed with “Dive into 5” and “Have a JAWSome birthday.” After initially tearing the gift gingerly with his teeth, Bao Li excitedly ripped open the box and rolled on his back, proudly showing off his new toy to the crowd.

“Bao Li is the embodiment of joy,” said giant panda keeper Mariel Lally. “He is always in a lively, playful mood. If you aren’t sure what an overjoyed laughing giant panda looks like, keep your eye out for when Bao Li puts his forelimb in his mouth and shakes it around. When bears bite their arms in this manner, it is equivalent to people laughing!”

Cultural Diplomacy at the Zoo

The Chinese Embassy in the United States joined the celebration with family-friendly activities including calligraphy, coloring, face painting and nail art stations, a panda mascot, and panda-themed trivia with prizes. Virtual visitors could also tune into the Zoo’s Giant Panda Cam, sponsored by The Boeing Company, to watch Bao Li enjoy his birthday festivities.

Hundreds of visitors gathered at the habitat, many wearing panda-themed accessories. Helen Gonzalez, a retired lawyer who has been coming to the Washington Zoo to see pandas for about 20 years, told Xinhua News that pandas serve as an important bridge between cultures. “I think pandas are an entry point for many people who don’t know China to learn about China,” she said. “In this era, anything that can open doors to different cultures and countries is important.”

Rose, an accountant from Boston who traveled specifically for the celebration, said pandas hold special meaning for her family. “My wife is from China, and we are both ‘panda fans.’ We’ve been to many cities in China to see pandas, including Chengdu and Chongqing,” she told China News Service.

A Third-Generation Washingtonian

Bao Li’s story is deeply intertwined with Washington, D.C. His mother, Bao Bao, was born at the National Zoo in 2013, and his grandparents, Mei Xiang and Tian Tian, lived at the zoo for nearly a quarter-century before returning to China in November 2023. As NBC Washington noted, Bao Li is a third-generation Washingtonian panda.

Bao Li and his companion, female panda Qing Bao, arrived at the National Zoo on October 15, 2024, aboard a FedEx “Panda Express” charter flight, beginning a 10-year cooperative research stay. Their arrival ended a nearly year-long panda absence at the zoo following the departure of Mei Xiang, Tian Tian, and their cub Xiao Qi Ji, as Xinhua reported at the time.

Healthy and Thriving

According to keeper Mariel Lally, both Bao Li and Qing Bao are in excellent health. “Bao Li as a 5-year-old ‘teenager’ panda is very lively and playful. His daily life is ‘eat, sleep, play,’ and he ‘grows very fast,’” Lally said. Qing Bao is currently in a “pseudopregnancy” state, which is a normal phenomenon for female pandas her age, causing her to sleep more and gain some weight.

The two pandas have already met through the “howdy window” — mesh screens in their shared fenceline — and show interest in each other, though they are not yet at breeding age. “We are confident about their future relationship,” Lally said.

Qing Bao is scheduled to celebrate her own 5th birthday on September 12, 2026.

A Symbol of Cooperation

The birthday celebration highlights the enduring role of pandas as cultural ambassadors in US-China relations. Giant pandas have been central to diplomatic ties between the two countries since the first pair arrived in the United States in 1972. The 10-year agreement under which Bao Li and Qing Bao reside at the Smithsonian represents a long-term commitment to panda conservation research and international cooperation.

As Bao Li and Qing Bao mature toward breeding age, the next chapter of their story may involve cubs — a prospect that would be significant both for conservation efforts and for maintaining the public’s deep connection to the panda program in Washington.