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Birthday treats for the granny of pandas
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A ZOO in southwest China threw a centennial birthday party at the weekend for its celebrity “granny panda” who turned 35.
Xinxing, born in 1982, is the matriarch of a huge panda family of 90. Her children and grandchildren are spread across the globe in 20 countries and regions including the United States, Canada and Japan.
Xinxing was treated to a feast of bamboo shoots and apples at Chongqing Zoo. The song “Happy Birthday to You” was played as she ate. Her offspring in zoos in Hong Kong, Toronto and Memphis followed human fashion to send greetings via online video clips.
Grandma does not live alone. She is accompanied by a son, five grand-daughters and two great grand-children at the zoo.
Xinxing was brought to the zoo when just 12 months old. Her first birth was in 1992. In 2002, she broke the record of old-age pregnancy for pandas when she gave birth at 20.
Her caretaker, Yin Yanqiang, said Xinxing remains fit at 35 and has not developed any serious aging problems.
She eats bamboo shoots, leaves and plenty of fruit as well as refined feedstuff three times a day, Yin said.
The zoo has specially arranged purified water for her to drink and monthly physical check-ups.
All aims to help Xinxing have a wonderful senior life, Yin said.
Giant pandas are known to have very low birth rates. In the wild, pandas normally live 15 to 20 years. The ones in captivity can live up to around 30 years, equivalent to 90 human years.
Earlier this week, the world’s oldest captive panda, Basi, died in China at the age of 37.
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