On July 6, 2026, giant panda Yuan Zai (圆仔) celebrated her 13th birthday. That day the panda house at Taipei Zoo was closed, so the zoo livestreamed on social media, where many fans watched online and sent birthday wishes.
Coinciding with the World Cup, Taipei Zoo keepers made a World Cup themed birthday "cake" for Yuan Zai: a green "pitch" of bamboo leaves, an ice "football" in the center, a sugarcane goal, a panda model wearing a No. 13 jersey, and a championship trophy carved from carrot and apple — creating a lively match-day atmosphere. Within minutes of the livestream starting, over 400 fans were watching online. Messages like "Happy birthday, little Zai" and "Wishing you a healthy, happy bear life" poured in.
Yuan Zai first strolled to her favorite swing, then spotted a colorful banner reading "PANDA FIFA" overhead. Curious, she stood up, sniffed and touched it, drawing laughing emoji comments from fans. Smelling the birthday "cake," she climbed off the swing and headed toward it.
Yuan Zai is currently in a pseudopregnancy (假孕期) — she typically eats little, sleeps a lot, and is inactive. But faced with the keepers' carefully designed "cake," she got excited. After curiously batting at the "football" and "goal," she lifted a forepaw and knocked the cake over, then went straight for the "championship trophy" and happily devoured the fresh ingredients. The zoo said they changed how the food was presented to encourage the panda to explore new ingredients, stimulating her natural curiosity and movement.
Born in 2013, Yuan Zai is the daughter of the cross-strait gift pandas Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan. She has carried popularity since birth and gained a huge fan base over more than a decade.
