Taiwan's oldest panda, Yuanyuan, celebrates her 21st birthday

In Taiwan, Taipei Zoo celebrated its female panda, Yuan-yuan's, 21st birthday on Saturday, with hundreds of visitors watching as she enjoyed a special ice cake decorated with a Winnie-the-Pooh carrot figure.

Born in 2004, Yuan-yuan arrived in Taiwan in 2008 alongside male panda Tuan-tuan, under China's panda diplomacy initiative.

At 21, she has far exceeded the average wild panda lifespan of 14 to 20 years.

Her companion, Tuan-tuan, passed away in 2022 after 18 years, but their legacy lives on through their two female cubs, Yuan Zai, who is 12 years old, and Yuan Bao, who is 5 years old.