--- title: Oldest Panda in Captivity Celebrates 37th Birthday description: Jia Jia the oldest panda in captivity according to Guinness World Records celebrates 37th birthday at Ocean Park in Hong Kong canonical: https://time.com/3974844/oldest-panda-captivity-jiajia-birthday/ author: Olivia B. Waxman article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-07-28T15:24:36.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:43:44.280Z og:title: Oldest Panda in Captivity Celebrates 37th Birthday og:description: Jia Jia the oldest panda in captivity according to Guinness World Records celebrates 37th birthday at Ocean Park in Hong Kong og:url: https://time.com/3974844/oldest-panda-captivity-jiajia-birthday/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt4d5a2f03ccb6705b/69885cc6196cf4b8c20374c8/gettyimages-482174284.jpg?branch=production&width=594&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 594 og:image:height: 334 og:image:alt: HONG KONG-ANIMAL-PANDA-OLDEST og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Oldest Panda in Captivity Celebrates 37th Birthday twitter:description: Jia Jia the oldest panda in captivity according to Guinness World Records celebrates 37th birthday at Ocean Park in Hong Kong twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt4d5a2f03ccb6705b/69885cc6196cf4b8c20374c8/gettyimages-482174284.jpg?branch=production&width=594&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # See How the World's Oldest Panda Celebrates Her Birthday > Sponsored content. 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Waxman Staff Writer Jul 28, 2015 3:24 PM UTC  Giant panda Jia Jia stands next to her cake made of ice and fruit juice to mark her 37th birthday at an amusement park in Hong Kong on July 28, 2015\. It may not be considered a landmark birthday for humans but turning 37 made Jia Jia the oldest ever giant panda in captivity ageing the equivalent of more than 100-years-old in human terms. Giant panda Jia Jia stands next to her cake made of ice and fruit juice to mark her 37th birthday at an amusement park in Hong Kong on July 28, 2015\. It may not be considered a landmark birthday for humans but turning 37 made Jia Jia the oldest ever giant panda in captivity ageing the equivalent of more than 100-years-old in human terms. Philippe Lopez/AFP—Getty Images  by [Olivia B. Waxman](https://time.com/author/olivia-b-waxman/)  ## Olivia B. Waxman Staff Writer Jul 28, 2015 3:24 PM UTC While some humans might dread turning 37, it’s a record birthday for one giant panda. On July 28, Jia Jia celebrated turning 37 — or about 110 years old in panda years — with a bamboo and vegetable ice cake at Hong Kong’s Ocean Park. [Guinness World Records](http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2015/7/oldest-panda-ever-celebrates-her-37th-birthday-and-two-new-record-titles-388909) has recognized the giant panda for setting two records — one for the “oldest panda ever in captivity” and one for the “oldest panda living in captivity.” Born in 1978, Jia Jia was given to Hong Kong in 1999 to celebrate the second anniversary of Britain handing over control of the city to China. She has had six cubs (four are still alive). These days, Jia Jia is on medication to treat high blood pressure and arthritic pain. ### What Life Is Like for America’s Most Famous Panda Cub  Abby Wood—Smithsonian's National Zoo  Abby Wood—Smithsonian's National Zoo  Abby Wood—Smithsonian's National Zoo  Abby Wood—Smithsonian's National Zoo  Abby Wood—Smithsonian's National Zoo  Bao Bao, the Giant Panda cub is seen by the media for the first time January 6, 2014 inside his glass enclosure at the Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington, DC, a few days before going on display to the general public. Bao Bao was born at the Smithsonian's National Zoo August 2, 2013\. AFP Photo/Paul J. Richards (Photo credit should read PAUL J. RICHARDS/AFP/Getty Images) Paul J. Richards—AFP/Getty Images  Matt McClain—The Washington Post/Getty Images  Bao Bao, the Giant Panda cub is seen by the media for the first time January 6, 2014 inside his glass enclosure at the Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington, DC, a few days before going on display to the general public. Bao Bao was born at the Smithsonian's National Zoo August 2, 2013\. AFP Photo/Paul J. Richards (Photo credit should read PAUL J. RICHARDS/AFP/Getty Images) Paul J. Richards—AFP/Getty Images  Matt McClain—The Washington Post/Getty Images  Connor Mallon—Smithsonian's National Zoo  Courtney Janney—Smithsonian's National Zoo  Abby Wood—Smithsonian's National Zoo  Abby Wood—Smithsonian's National Zoo  Abby Wood—Smithsonian's National Zoo ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3974844/oldest-panda-captivity-jiajia-birthday/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3974844/oldest-panda-captivity-jiajia-birthday/"},"headline":"See How the World's Oldest Panda Celebrates Her Birthday","datePublished":"2015-07-28T15:24:36.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-04T07:43:44.280Z","description":"She turned 37 — or about 110 in panda years, according to Guinness World Records","url":"https://time.com/3974844/oldest-panda-captivity-jiajia-birthday/","keywords":["Newsfeed","animals"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt4d5a2f03ccb6705b/69885cc6196cf4b8c20374c8/gettyimages-482174284.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Olivia B. 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