Giant Panda “He Feng” Turns 8!

This year, Shanghai Zoo’s star giant panda, He Feng, celebrates his 8th birthday! Recently, the zoo hosted a birthday party for He Feng with an “awards ceremony” theme, complete with a birthday cake and other treats. He Feng was also awarded the “Most Popular Panda” title.

The celebration kicked off at 9:00 AM with the highlight being a meticulously crafted three-tiered fruit ice cake. The layers, from top to bottom, featured kiwi, orange, and dragon fruit, surrounded by small apples, corn buns, and carrots—He Feng’s favorite foods. While the cake was richly adorned with various ingredients, He Feng seemed most interested in the eight carrot candles on top, which he thoroughly enjoyed.

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To add to the festivities, the zookeepers prepared an ice dumbbell for He Feng, echoing the Olympic spirit. Inside a halved watermelon, they placed food shaped like ingots and coins as a “year-end bonus” to thank He Feng for his contributions over the past year.

The event drew many visitors, including panda enthusiasts who traveled from places like Taizhou just to see He Feng. Everyone wished for He Feng’s continued health and happiness. Also at the Shanghai Zoo is He Feng’s bamboo horse and half-brother, Xing Guang. Both pandas, born in the same year, arrived at the zoo in 2019 and are collectively known as “Feng Guang.” Xing Guang also celebrated his 8th birthday this past June.

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He Feng’s mother is Cheng Gong, his father is Mei Lan, and his sister is He Yu, also known by the nicknames “He Crazy” and “Little White Socks.” Jin Zimin, a zookeeper who acts as He Feng’s “panda dad,” shared in an interview, “He Feng’s biggest trait is his intelligence. Although he was a bit mischievous when he was younger, he has matured with age. He Feng quickly grasps new things and can complete tasks with ease, especially during behavior training.”

He Feng is also known for his hearty appetite. “Outside the panda enclosure, there’s a large and tall moso bamboo. He really likes it, and with one bite, he can snap the bamboo and eat it all.”

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This summer, Shanghai has been scorching, and giant pandas are highly sensitive to heat. Temperatures above 26°C make it unsuitable for outdoor activities. To keep He Feng and Xing Guang comfortable during the summer, Shanghai Zoo has implemented cooling measures. Four ceiling air conditioners run continuously indoors to maintain a temperature of around 20°C. Additionally, the zookeepers prepare ice blocks topped with fruits and other treats to help the pandas stay cool.