Bai Yun is a laid-back mama.
Today, Bai Yun turns 20 years old. Can you believe it? She doesn’t look a day over 12, at least in my eyes! I still remember when she arrived here at the San Diego Zoo as a five year old back in 1996. Beautiful and busy, she was a joy to watch for all of us. And she still is!
We couldn’t let her special day go by without doing something special for an animal that has represented her species so well. Bai Yun has seen her share of elaborate panda birthday celebrations. Yet her long-time keeper, Kathy Hawk, describes Bai Yun as a laid-back, down-to-earth mama these days. So in keeping with a low-key theme, Kathy has been preparing a “homemade” ice cake. It will feature layers of Bai’s favorite apple, carrot, and honey slush, with food-colored ice cubes on top.
Kathy and crew will set the cake out in the north exhibit during Bai Yun’s noon feeding time today. Please come by to wish our birthday girl many happy returns!
Debbie Andreen is a blog moderator for the San Diego Zoo. Read her previous post, Elephant Calf Has a Name!
Here’s Bai Yun with her birthday cake!
Happy Birthday Bai! You sweet young gal! We love you and love watching you from afar. Hope you have a great birthday and many blessings in the coming years. You’re AWESOME!!
Happy, Happy Birthday Bai Yun!!! You have been a fantastic Mother over the years!
didn’t see this until after 1 pm, hope you got a video of Bai and her cake
Moderator’s note: It hasn’t happened yet, Kathy. It’s not noon yet.
of course, time difference, phew
Birthday wishes Bai! Have a great day.
Happy B’day, Lady Bai! With lots of global love and admiration!!! Enjoy!!!
Happy birthday hero momma! You deserve the best!
Will Bai be allowed to stay at SDZ if her “Breeding Life” if over? Will a new female breeder be introduced? I hope she can live out her life at SDZ!
Moderator’s note: Our agreement with China is for Bai Yun to reside here until at least 2013.
Happy Birthday Bai Yun. That cake sounds absolutely delicious, enjoy!
Thanks for the heads up Debbie.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BEAUTIFUL BAI YUN!
There are not enough adjectives in the dictionary to describe Bai Yun and all she has done for the San Diego Zoo or pandas everywhere. She is an ambassador and SDZ made her so by putting up the Panda Cam. We could all see what goes on in the life of a panda 24/7 and learn to love them. We could see how caring and nuturing they are with their cubs, how gentle they are and also how playful they can be. She is amazing and well loved the world over.
A very happy birthday Bai Yun. I have been visiting you from the East Coast for many years. It’s always a joy to watch you alone or when you are mothering your cubs. I hope you enjoy your special birthday treat!
The panda cam will be trained on her at noon, I hope
Happy Birthday Bai!
Moderator’s note: Yes, the Cam will be focused on Bai and her cake.
Happy Birthday, Bai Yun!! Thank you so much all the beautiful cubs you’ve given us. I hope you get lots of special attention on your day! Wish I could be with you to celebrate!! Auntie Kristi loves you so much!!!
My birthday wishes for Bai were this morning on the previous blog……..I just wanted to add that I am so happy that she will receive her very own ice cake today!! I knew Kathy wouldn’t let her big day pass by without a very specail cake. Happy, Happy Birthday dear sweet Bai Yun!!
Happy Birthday Bai Yun!! You are a beautiful lady!
A hail to thee our beautiful girl! How many days and even some nights we all spent with you and your cubbies, Loving each and every one. Now you are 20 and no lionger a mama. TIME TO TAKE UP YOUR KNITTING AND GO GO DANCING!W E WILL MAKE SURE ALL YOUR CUBBIES ARE HAVING A WONDERFUL LIFE. YOU JUST TAKE THIS TIME TO UNWIND FROM MAMAING AND KICK UP YOUR HEELS OR JUST BEAUTY SLEEP. EVERYONE LOVES YOU.
Happy Birthday to Bai Yun,one of the greatest Panda mom’s of our time! May you live a long and healthy life for many more years to come !!!
Happy Happy Birthday Bai Yun!!
RSVP me in! Happy Birthday Bai, much love and hugs wonderful momma!
I think I saw her playing with a sack a few minutes ago–hope it has ylang ylang or cinnamon or something for her to anoint herself with.
Happy birthday, Bai–you and your cubs have brought much joy into my life!!!
Happy 20th Birthday Bai Yun. A very special Panda and a wonderful mother. Hope you have a great “cake” that you’ll love and won’t have to share. You have no idea just how special you are to so many people near and far. Love and much happiness is wished for you.
Happy Happy Birthday Bai, enjoy your cake!!!
Can’t see anything, camera very shaky and blury, hope you get a video of it. Saw Bai Yun jumping up and down on a tree what looks like a tire around it, know I know where her son gets his antics, very fun to watch this BIG bear jumping up and down on a tree branch. Glad it held.
All the best to our beautiful Bai Yun on her special day!
Happy Birthday – dearest Bai, the best treats for a deserving panda mom.
What a pretty and colorful cake Kathy made for Bai…
Ms. Moderator–what’s happening to the cam–it’s freaking out!
Moderator’s note: Unfortunately, it’s one of our older cameras, and we are still attempting to resolve our Panda Cam issues. I’m so sorry for the poor picture quality. And as of 12:50, Bai Yun has not been interested in her cake, preferring a clump of bamboo.
Well–she finally found it and knocked it over, so now the fun begins!
Hi! Well, Happy birthday to Bai Yun! Can’t believe she is 20 years old today! I don’t think she looks that old either! Not a day over 10! I was just on the pandacam, and I saw Bai’s bday ice cake sitting there in her yard, but haven’t seen Bai yet. Plus, the cam was acting a little funny. The picture on it was wiggling, and it kept flashing this “no video” message on it. Anybody know what’s up with that cam? Hope it can get fixed real soon! I know that Bai will just love her cake–all by herself this time! Mei Lan had her 5th birthday in Chengdu, China yesterday; Yang Yang will have his 14th birthday this Friday, 9/9/2011 in Atlanta.
Well, gonna go and see if Bai’s pandacam is back up and running like it’ssupposed to! Will be back later!
Chari Mercier
St. Pete, FL
Momma Bai Yun, you are a most special lady! Happy Birthday, and I hope you enjoy that yummy cake Keeper Kathy made for you
She’s at her cake now and seems to be enjoying it! Great to she her have her very own cake..usually she has to wrestle a cubbie for some..hehe!
Great job on the cake, thank you Kathy H!
Maybe she was waiting for the cake to thaw so she could get the goodies. She was very interested in it when I checked in a little after 1:00 p.m.!
Happy Birthday Bai Yun hope you have a lovely day xx
Watched Bai on the pandacam between 3 & 4pm EDT, and she finally made it to her bday cake! She really took her own slow sweet time getting there, preferring to sniff around the yard to find some of those tasty bday snackies. She ate the little snackies that were on top of the cake, then after doing that for a few minutes, she finally knocked the cake down to see if she can get at the boo and other veggies that were frozen inside of the cake! Then the cam went out, so I’m figuring that someone got our camera complaints about the wiggling cam picture and will get to work on it to get it better. Bai was having some fun on her day, tho. She may not be as fast and frantic about her special day, but she does know how to take her time to enjoy her day. And, she had her cake all to herself for once! NO KIDS!! Happy Birthday, Bai!!
Hope that someone will get a good video of Bai and her cake that we can all watch with alot more clarity. Let us know, pandafans!
Chari Mercier
St. Pete, FL
Thank you for this lovely tribute for a beautiful “Mama Bear”. She deserves the special attention!
Happy Birthday Bai. You are as beautiful today as you were when you came to San Diego. You’ve got thousands of people who love you dearly and you’ve given all of us so much joy so hope your cake is super sweet just for you. Thank you for being such a wonderful mother and simply the most beautiful panda mom in the world. May you have many more birthdays.
Bless your sweet heart, Bai! And bless yours too, Kathy! Thank you for your loving, dedicated care to this gorgeous, wonderful, extraordinary grand lady among pandas. Our nation was given a great gift when China sent Bai Yun to us. In the many years she has lived in the United States, she has given us nothing but joy year after year, and it has truly been an honor to watch her mother her cubs. I hope she enjoyed her special cake (Especially since she didn’t have to share it!), and I wish her happiness in her retirement from Mommy to full-time Grandmommy! I love you Bai! And Gao and Yunni, too!
Hauoli la hanau Bai Yun… hope you have many happy more!!!
Imagine that on my 44th birthday a wonderful panda was born in China. She would the be first panda born in captivity and survive. This panda would become the Panda extraordinaire of the world. She would have babies that would return to China and would bring about the dream of returning her species to the wild. What a great story of OUR Bai YUN. We are so lucky in San Diego. She was my best birthday present ever!!! Good luck Bai Yun and much love from this fellow September 7th birthday girl.
Moderator’s note: Happy birthday to you, Kathy!
That’s so awesome!
Happy Birthday Bai. Have a great day and enjoy your yummy cake with all the trimmings. Love you Bai.
Dearest,
Love ya, hun. I’m a bear of few words but just wanted to say that I am so happy you chose me to be your Salsa partner. Have a great day and tonight, we’re gonna paint the town red, hee hee.
Love always,
Your huggy bear, G
Happy Birthday beautiful Bai Yun! I hope you enjoyed your yummy treats today.
Happy Birthday wonderful mother-of-five. We all love you dearly. Enjoy your day and many more too.
Happy Birthday, Bai Yun. You don’t look a day over 19!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY BEAUTIFUL BAI!! What a wonderful mama bear she has been! I imagine retirement from babies is probably looking pretty appealing . . .she’s done her duty and now deserves a long and happy rest! Her health and well-being mean the most to me and I imagine most of her fans.
Happy Birthday Bai ….you have brought so much joy into our lives and many laughs
Today, Sept. 7, 2011, we attended Bai Yun’s 20th Birthday Party.
Before the party began, Bai Yun became very frisky. She suddenly tipped over her swimming pool, climbed the structure, and with much deliberation threw a rubber tire to the ground and finally, jumped into her in-ground pool and splashed water all over herself.
Next, she ran across the entire yard and jumped into the now empty pool, overturning it. It was wonderful and hilarious to watch. In all the years that I have been visiting Bai Yun, I have never seen her so playful. It was delightful to see her acting like a young panda again.
You can see this very funny video of our playful Bai Yun at the following link:
http://www.youtube.com/user/sdrose24#p/a/u/0/i68aIlVyBQM
P.S. I’m working on Bai Yun’s birthday cake video. I hope to have it on youtube tomorrow.
Moderator’s note: What a great video clip, Rose! Thank you for sharing!
Rose, what a fun video clip. Bai was having a high old time being a cub again. Thanks! Oh to be that agile!!!
Love the video clip and just watched the birthday cake one you posted as well!
I think the first video answers the question someone on here asked last week as to whether Bai Yun was depressed or not about not being pregnant..hehe!
It was great to see her enjoying herself outdoors and engaging with her fans. Thank you so much for being there for her and for sharing the moment with us!
Rose, thank you very much for this lovely video. Bai Yun really enjoyed herself. She looked so young and agile, by no means like being 20 years.
Moderator: Thank you for your comment. I’m glad you enjoyed “frisky” Bai’s video. Bai’s antics really surprised me. She is a very happy panda.
I’m still working on Bai’s birthday party video. It is one hour long and I’m trying to whittle it down to youtube’s 10 minute limit. I hope to have it ready sometime this afternoon.
I enjoyed the video so much – did not think that Bai had it in her – she was a frisky little panda again in her life – so much pleasure watching her – great stuff
Rose, please let us all know (with a link) when you’ve posted the video on utube.
Thanks very much for your video, it is so good to see Bai Yun having so much fun! She showed that she can still have as much fun as a young cub!!
What a fantastic video. I swear Bai Yun is celebrating her birthday and also not having a cub this year. She is letting loose and saying “this is time for me and I’m going to enjoy every moment of it”. She doesn’t have to share anything with anyone. You Go Girl!
In speaking with other guests at the birthday party, their sentiments were the same. Everyone believes that without a cub, Bai is free to play and enjoy herself. If this is so, Bai should be lots of fun to watch in the coming months.
Thank you for sharing the video. This clearly shows who Zhen Zhen takes after.
Rose, thanks so very much for sharing these videos! For a grown up bear, Bai Yun sure knows how to have fun.
Happy birthday Bai! Much love for you!
Happy Birthday you most beautiful of all Pandas!!
A very, very special Happy Birthday to our precious girl Bai Yun!!! Enjoy your day and your cake.
Happy Birthday Bai Yun! Check out wwwflicfr.com/photos/pandalover19/
Doxie Mom had a video of Bai Yun checking her cake out. Also, she had a very cute video of Po’s play session with his mom!
Moderatior: We are going to San Diego Zoo October, the first week. Will the Panda Trek be finished by then? Also, anxiously waiting for the new cams???
Thank you.
Moderator’s note: Our Panda Trek is open, although the Mang Mountain vipers have not moved in yet. But the red panda and takin herd have settled in nicely!
Happy Birthday momma bear Bai Yun Have fun eating that yummy cake and all the goodies
Happy Birthday Mama Bai, you are a special bear.
Happy BIrthday to the world’s best Panda mother, Bai Yun!!! Hope to see video of your birthday cake!!! With great love to Bai, all her cubs, and to the wonderful staff of SDZ!!!
xoox
Bai Yun’s 20th Birthday Party
Keepers Kathy Hawk and Jennifer carried a beautiful, multicolored, birthday ice cake into Bai Yun’s exhibit. The cake had embedded fruit and as an extra treat, Jennifer drizzled honey all over the top.
Bai Yun entered the exhibit, totally ignored the cake, and sat down and enjoyed eating delicious bamboo for some time. After she ate her fill of bamboo, she started to investigate her exhibit. Bai Yun ate her way through a trail of panda biscuits until she reached her birthday cake. Everyone was saying, “Bai Yun finally! Happy Birthday”.
Bai Yun first removed and ate all the fruit that was attached to the cake. She then began to scrape and bite through the center of the cake, which appeared to be made of a frozen carrot puree. While digging and sniffing the cake, Bai Yun sniffed some ice shavings up her nose and she started sneezing to the delight of all the guests. J She tumbled, rolled, clawed and ate the cake for a long time. She really enjoyed her birthday surprise.
Thank you Kathy Hawk for all your care and attention to Bai Yun and all the pandas.
Also, thanks for making the delicious ice/fruit cake for Bai’s birthday. She really enjoyed it.
I have a “Bai’s Birthday Video” on YouTube. You can find it at the following link:
http://www.youtube.com/user/sdrose24?feature=mhee#p/a/u/0/sbDqN4jfPA4
Moderator’s note: Thank you, Rose, for another wonderful video of our girl on her special day!
Both of the Birthday videos are Great! The cake appeared to be adorned with jewels! I loved the sneezes! Thanks for posting!
Bobbie, Regarding the top of Bai’s cake, I made a similar remark. After Kathy placed the ice cake on display, I mentioned how colorful and beautiful it was – especially with the shiny top. It was covered with multi-colored ice cubes, slowly melting in the sun, which made them wet and shiny. Bai really enjoyed her ice cake.
Thanks so much for sharing this video. It was so sweet.
Rose, thank you so much for sharing the videos. What a thrill it must have been for you to be right there. There were a couple of times when Bai appeared to be looking right at you!. I also loved the running commentary – it made me feel I was there too! What a great day it was for all panda lovers!
Rose, thanks again for sharing this beautiful video with us. Bai Yun looked like being at peace with herself. First she was very careful when eating the beautiful cake (thank you to their keepers!) but a bit later she became a bit impatient to find the goodies she mostly likes. She is such a beautiful bear!
Thank you so much Rose for the videos. I haven’t seen Bai in some time and I was like OMG look at the size of her. She is absolutely beautiful and she actually does seem to sparkle.
Happy Birthday, Hero Mother!
@>>-
and plenty of fresh and tasty bamboo!
„ „ „ „ „ „
„‟„‟ -„‟-‟-„‟-‟„—–
‟ ‟ ‟ ‟ ‟
It was so fun watching Bai frolic on her birthday. Thank you for your videos so we may watch and feel as thou we were there celebrating with her.
Love you Bai Yun!
Happy Birthday and many many more!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY to you, Bai Yun, and many happy returns. You look so at ease, no worries to raise cubbies to the best of your abilities, just resting, playing and being a real joy to all of us. May you be able to have many more happy years! Your fellow pandas from Schönbrunn Long Hui, Yang Yang and baby Fu Hu send their regards and birthday wishes.
Belated birthday wishes, dear, sweet Bai, for another 20 years of good health, happiness and lots and lots of good, sweet boo!
xxoox
Happy Birthday, incredible momma. I hope you got to enjoy your day. I love you very much.
oh! she is sooooo beautiful! She still looks so young, and she is very healthy!:)
You are so loved Bai Yun, Here are late wishes from me, may you have many many more wonderful birthdays and may your days be filled with absolute joy and pleasure. You are an icon!