One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Photo: Panda Celebrates 22 Years With A Bamboo-And-Yam Birthday Cake
Bai Yun hams it up with her icy birthday "cake" (Facebook)
Panda matriach six Bai Yun celebrated her 22nd birthday at the San Diego Zoo yesterday with an icy treat that took a month to prepare. Some of her little ones joined in on the the treat.
The "cake" was made of a pandas' favorite things: ice, bamboo, fruit and pureed yam for the icing, Fox 5 says.
Bai Yun, whose name means "white cloud," has been living at the San Diego Zoo since she was five years old thanks to an agreement with the Chinese government, according to NBC Los Angeles. During that time, she has given birth to six cubs: Hue Mei, Mei Sheng, Su Lin, Zhen Zhen, Yun Zi and most recently Xiao Liwu. With Xiao Liwu, she set a record for giving birth to the most cubs outside of Chinese breeding facilities. (The New Yorker has noted that San Diego's pandas areso much better at sex than DC's.)
Zookeepers says Bai Yun is a curious, mischievous panda who dotes on her children. She also enjoys climbing things and goes crazy for anything scented with cloves, pine or men’s cologne. (And now you know what a panda's OKCupid profile would sound like.)
Bonus: Here's a recent Instagram video showing the adorable San Diego pandas enjoying a snow day at the end of last month:
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
