The star panda named Basi from China celebrated his 25th birthday on Friday, November 18, in Fujian Province in eastern China. This panda has a notably high lifespan, with scientists noting that his age is equivalent to 100 in human years.
During the birthday celebration, Basi showcased his skills as part of the newly launched Panda Festival in the provincial capital, Fuzhou. In four months, he will be moved to a summer retreat near a mountain.
Basi’s caretaker revealed that this female panda was once on the brink of death due to illness, but miraculously, she overcame the odds and continues to thrive.
Basi was born in 1980 in Sichuan Province and has become a legend in the panda world. In 1984, while searching for food—becoming scarce due to bamboo flowering—Basi was found floating on a river. She was rescued and brought to Fuzhou in 1985.
Basi became a star after learning impressive tricks such as somersaulting, riding a bicycle, playing jianzi (a traditional Chinese game similar to hacky sack), and weightlifting. She visited the United States in 1987 and performed at the Asian Games in Beijing in 1990, where she was chosen as the lucky panda.
Basi has also fascinated scientists as she was the first panda diagnosed with high blood pressure and the first to undergo successful cataract surgery. One of her body cells has been used for research purposes.
TUONG VY (According to Xinhua)
