Giant Panda Yi Lan is celebrating her fifth birthday today with presents, favourite foods and plenty of pampering – as the zoo continues a month-long celebration with kids visiting free throughout August.
Keepers have prepared a special birthday experience for Yi Lan, filling her habitat with enrichment boxes containing some of her favourite treats and scents to encourage her to explore, forage and play.
Team Supervisor, Pij, said birthdays were a great opportunity to celebrate the animals while showcasing the important role enrichment plays in their daily care.
“Yi Lan’s fifth birthday is a really special day for us, so we’re throwing her a party with enrichment boxes of different shapes and sizes filled with some of her favourite things,” Pij said.
“She might find treats such as carrot, apple or panda cake inside, along with different scents that encourage her to investigate and use her senses.
“We use everything from herbs and essential oils through to perfumes and fragrances. One of Yi Lan’s favourites is actually a scent called Unicorn, and she also enjoys Bubbles, so we’re always finding new ways to keep things interesting for her.
“Enrichment is a really important part of caring for the pandas and all the animals at Adelaide Zoo. It provides variety, encourages natural behaviours, and gives them opportunities to explore and make choices within their environment.”
Of course, no Giant Panda birthday would be complete without plenty of bamboo.
Adelaide Zoo provides its pandas with multiple varieties of bamboo each day, giving them plenty of choice as their preferences change throughout the seasons.
“At the moment Yi Lan is really enjoying Buddha Belly bamboo, as well as a variety called Oldhamii,” Pij said.
“She can be quite particular about what she wants – whether that’s the leafy parts or the thicker stems – so having that variety available is really important.”
The celebrations will continue later this month, with Adelaide Zoo’s Teddy Bears’ Picnic on Sunday 30 August giving visitors another chance to celebrate Yi Lan and fellow Giant Panda Xing Qiu.
The family event will feature panda enrichment, keeper talks, face painting, craft activities and more.
Throughout August, kids aged 14 and under can also visit Adelaide Zoo for FREE, with up to three children receiving free entry with each paying adult.
“It’s a big month for the pandas and we’d love to see plenty of families joining our celebrations,” Pij said.
“With kids going free throughout August and the Teddy Bears’ Picnic coming up on 30 August, it’s a great time to visit Yi Lan and Xing Qiu and enjoy a day at the zoo.”
TEDDY BEARS’ PICNIC
Sunday 30 August 2026
Adelaide Zoo
Panda enrichment, keeper talks, face painting, craft activities and more.
The Teddy Bears’ Picnic is included with general admission, with Kids Go Free applying throughout August.
KIDS GO FREE – ADELAIDE ZOO
Throughout August 2026, up to three children aged 14 and under can visit Adelaide Zoo for FREE with each paying adult.
The Kids Go Free offer runs from 1-31 August 2026.
