Bei Bei’s panda birthday party this year was a little bit of a bust, even despite the fact the zoo ran a “dress rehearsal” for his big day. The 1-year-old cub celebrated his birthday this past Saturday by sprawling out in his indoor pen and snoozing, while his mom Mei Xang took care of his frozen fruit “cake” of sweet potatoes and apples lodged in ice, and hundreds of loyal Bei Bei enthusiasts waited it out in the summer heat. He did make a brief, early-morning appearance to lick the honey off of some bamboo bannisters his mom had knocked down. Then he took a brief lounge in the tall brush before returning to his den.
What would liven up his panda party next year? Why not invite some of his neighbors born in the last few years at Smithsonian’s National Zoo? After all, Bei Bei and Bao Bao aren’t the institution’s only adorable furry faces. Here are a few cuties we would invite to keep next year’s party hoppin’.
Clouded Leopard cubs Mingma and Kali, born February 2013.
This Sea Lion pup, born June 2016.
Andean Bear cubs Chaska and Bernardo, born November 2014.
This Kiwi chick, hatched May 2016.
This fluffhead of a Cheetah cub, born November 2013.
Charlotte the Prehensile-Tailed Porcupine, born October 2015.
This young Dama Gazelle, born September 2012.
These two Maned Wolf pups, born April 2013.
This Short-Eared Shrew, born May of 2014.
The two Sumatran Tiger cubs Bandar and Sukacita, born August 2013.
Gray Seal pup, born January 2014.
The two endangered Elds Deer fauns, born in September 2015.
Hank the Sloth Bear, born September 2012.
This rare (extinct in the wild) Scimitar-Horned Oryx, born May 2014.
All seven of the adorable Red Panda cubs, born in a cluster of four different births between May and June 2014.
The two cute African Lion cub sisters Eva and Desta, born in January 2014.
This googley-eyed gaggle of Red-Ruffled Lemurs, born April 2016.
Przewalski’s Horses Anne, and her young filly, born July 2013.
This Fishing Kitten, born May 2012.
Hayley is an Associate Editor at Washingtonian Weddings. Previously she was the the Style Editor at The Local Palate, a Southern food culture magazine based out of Charleston, South Carolina. You can follow her on instagram @wandertaste.
