WASHINGTON — D.C.'s National Zoo is once again preparing for pandamonium Monday, as one of the giant pandas celebrates their first birthday in the District. Bao Li (pronounced BOW-lee), the zoo's male panda, is turning four, and the zoo is ready to paw-rty.
Bao Li arrived in D.C. along with his potential future mate, Qing Bao, in mid-October 2024 from the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in Sichuan, China. Bao Li is also the relative of a former D.C. zoo resident: Bao Bao, who was born at the zoo in 2018.
Starting at 9 a.m., the zoo has several birthday activities planned for Bao Li, including presenting him with his very own custom fruit-based ice cake to enjoy on the warm day .
"This milestone birthday is particularly special as Bao Li is one of the few giant pandas c