Xiao Qi Ji Celebrates First Birthday at Smithsonian

Xiao Qi Ji Celebrates First Birthday at Smithsonian’s National Zoo

Posted By : The Animal Facts Editorial Team

Date: August 22, 2021 1:45 pm

Giant Panda Cub - Xiao Qi Ji - Birthday Party

Giant panda Xiao Qi Ji holds a heart made of frozen diluted apple juice.

Photo Credit: Smithsonian’s National Zoo

The Smithsonian’s National Zoo celebrated the first birthday of giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji on August 21st 2021. In his first year of life he has been delighting fans around the world with regular updates being shared by the zoo on his life.

His birth at 6.35pm on August 21st made mum, Mei Xiang the oldest panda to ever give birth in the USA and the second oldest in the world. She’s shown age is no barrier though giving great care to her cub.

The father of Xiao Qi Ji is Tian Tian the resident male giant panda at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington DC.

Giant pandas Mei Xiang (left) and Xiao Qi Ji (right) enjoy a fruitsicle cake in honor of Xiao Qi Ji’s first birthday.

Photo Credit: Smithsonian’s National Zoo

To celebrate the birthday of Xiao Qi Ji keepers prepared a special fruitsicle cake, one of his favorite treats. Mother Mei Xiang shared his cake and father Tian Tian who lives separately was treated to his own. Fans around the world were able to watch the fun on the zoo’s panda cam.

You too can check out what Xiao Qi Ji is up to with panda cam – Smithsonian’s National Zoo Panda Cam

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The cake prepared for Mei Xiang was topped with a heart made from diluted apple juice with Xiao Qi Ji picking up the whole thing in an adorable image shared by the zoo. The rest of the cake was adorned with sweet potato, apple, carrot, pear, sugar cane, banana and bamboo.

Meanwhile the cake made for Xiao Qi Ji featured a large number one and was decorated with sweet potato, apple, carrot, pear, sugar cane, banana and bamboo.