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
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 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.
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