Taipei Zoo

Taipei Zoo’s beloved panda, Yuan Zai, turned 12 years old today (July 6, 2025)! Keepers meticulously crafted a vibrant camping-themed enrichment “ice cake” to celebrate her birthday, using ingredients like bamboo branches, poles, and shoots, along with carrots, grapes, pineapple, sugarcane, kiwi, and chestnuts. These delicious treats were shaped to fit the cake’s theme, “Let’s Go Camping!” and featured must-have camping necessities such as a tent, campfire, logging axe, and hammock. Grapes were also arranged into a large number 12 to mark Yuan Zai’s special day. The zoo welcomes everyone to the Giant Panda House to wish Yuan Zai a happy birthday!

As part of this year’s “Panda Party Activity Series,” the zoo also launched the “Panda Vet Chatroom” for the first time, inviting guests interested in the behind-the-scenes medical and specialized care work of Taipei Zoo’s giant pandas. Today’s session, themed “Windows to the Soul,” featured a zoo veterinarian who discussed panda eye health—what instruments are used to examine their eyes and how the care team works to prevent eye diseases.

In addition to learning about a panda's sense of vision, participants in the chatroom also had the unique opportunity to understand the significance of panda vocalizations and hearing as important tools for communication and perception. Meanwhile, the main hall of the Giant Panda House featured both a commemorative photo area and an on-site conservation education booth, bringing together panda fans and wildlife conservation enthusiasts to join in Yuan Zai’s birthday celebration and support wildlife conservation.