Happy Birthday Bao Bao!

Bao Bao's second day outside, April, 2, 2014. By Abby Wood, Courtesy of the National Zoological Park

What better way to celebrate a birthday than winning the Smithsonian Summer Showdown! The National Zoological Park celebrates Bao Bao's first birthday on August 23, 2014.

Giant pandas made their debut at the National Zoo in 1972 and have been a favorite ever since.  Those first pandas, Hsing-Hsing (male) and Ling-Ling (female), were a state gift from the People’s Republic of China following President Richard Nixon’s historic visit to the country.  Ling-Ling and Hsing-Hsing passed away in 1992 and 1999, respectively. In 2000, the National Zoo received another two pandas on loan from China, Tian Tian (male) and Mei Xiang (female). On July 9, 2005, Mei Xiang gave birth to Tai Shan (male), the first surviving panda cub to be born at the National Zoo. With Tai Shan, traffic on the Zoo's Panda Cam, where people can enjoy the daily activities of the pandas, from eating bamboo to rolling around and having fun, exploded.

The birth of Bao Bao represents the important research, conservation, and breeding program of the National Zoo that is designed to preserve this endangered species. For a look back at Bao Bao's first year, check out the video below.

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