Bei Bei is Turning Four!

Bei Bei resting on a limb of a tree.
Connor Mallon

By the end of August Bei Bei will be another year older! He will receive a panda-friendly frozen cake specially made by the Zoo’s Department of Nutrition Science the morning of Aug. 22 at 9 a.m. Visit the David M. Rubenstein Family Giant Panda Habitat to celebrate with us. 

Now that Bei Bei is turning four years old, he will move to China as stipulated in our breeding agreement. Transporting an animal thousands of miles takes a considerable amount of time and effort to plan. The process is well underway which includes working with other federal agencies, researching travel logistics, coordinating with colleagues in China, and preparing Bei Bei for the move. We don’t have an exact date for Bei Bei’s move, but it will occur in the coming months. We will share more details as soon as they are finalized, and everyone will have time to visit and celebrate Bei Bei before his departure.

This update was originally published Aug. 14, 2019, and was updated Aug. 20, 2019, to include the time that Bei Bei will receive his panda-friendly frozen cake.

Related Species:

Continue Exploring

September 12, 2025

#DCPandas: Happy 4th Birthday, Qing Bao! ›

Join us in wishing our “4-ever sweet” giant panda Qing Bao a happy 4th birthday!

August 22, 2025

Preparing for Panda Pseudopregnancy ›

Our giant pandas didn’t breed this year, but changes in Qing Bao’s behavior and hormones indicate she’s going through pseudopregnancy. Learn more in our panda team update!

July 31, 2025

Secrets of Summer Panda Life ›

How are the new giant pandas spending their first summer? And what’s changed since they arrived nine months ago? Keeper Mariel Lally explains.