Hubei panda celebrates birthday like a Wuhan local

A giant panda named "Wulin" celebrated its fifth birthday at Wuhan Zoo in Wuhan, Hubei province, on June 28, 2024. [Photo by Li Ziyun / For chinadaily.com.cn]

Animal keepers at a zoo in Wuhan, Hubei province, prepared special birthday food for a giant panda as it celebrated its fifth birthday on Friday.

It was the first birthday that the male panda nicknamed "Wulin" celebrated at the Wuhan Zoo.

The special birthday food was made of steamed cornbread, freshly squeezed watermelon juice, as well as skewers of bamboo leaves, bamboo shoots, carrots, apples, peaches and red dates.

The giant panda also received birthday gifts such as a bamboo-woven football, a toy dinosaur and a swing.

According to its keeper Cao Jun, people in Wuhan like eating grilled skewers, drinking sour plum juice and mung bean soup, and watching soccer games in the summer.

"By holding such a birthday ceremony, we hope to give 'Wulin' an experience similar to that of a local resident," he said.