Bamboo cake and toy for Kai Kai and Jia Jia's birthdays

SINGAPORE - It was a cake, not with cream or candles, but made from ingredients like bamboo, ice and carrots. That may not sound like much of a birthday treat - unless you're a giant panda.

On Friday, the River Safari's male giant panda, Kai Kai, was presented with the specially prepared three-tiered cake, while its female counterpart, Jia Jia, received a toy chime made from bamboo stems. The treats were presented to them during a special party held to commemorate the first anniversary of the bears' arrival in Singapore.

The party also marked the pandas' birthdays this month - Jia Jia turned five on Tuesday, while Kai Kai will turn six on Saturday. The pandas are on a 10-year loan from China.

As part of the celebrations, Wildlife Reserves Singapore also gave 10 members of the public, including five lucky My Paper readers, a chance to become Panda Party Planners.

Besides being immersed in a half-day behind-the-scenes programme on Aug 31 with River Safari keepers, the 10 party planners helped to prepare and present the cake and toy to the pandas.

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