Giant panda twins celebrate birthday at Zoo Atlanta

ATLANTA - Folks at Zoo Atlanta have two very special birthdays to celebrate this week!

Giant panda twins Ya Lun and Xi Lun turned 4-years-old on September 3, 2020. The twins celebrate had panda-perfect birthday surprises: special enrichment included ice "cakes" shaped as the numeral 4, sugarcane "candles" with sweet potato "flames," and birthday boxes filled with favorite treats such as leafeater biscuits, apples, bananas and sweet potatoes.

Some of the ice "cakes" were even enhanced with scent enrichment, including cinnamon, Tabasco, and turmeric.

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According to Zoo Atlanta, fewer than 1,900 giant pandas are estimated to remain in the wild in China’s Sichuan, Shaanxi, and Gansu provinces. Of these, more than 1,200 live inside nature reserves, and eight of these reserves have been supported by Zoo Atlanta.

You can more about the giant panda program at zooatlanta.org. You can also keep up with Ya Lun, Xi Lun, and their parents Lun Lun and Yang Yang on the zoo's PandaCam.