Panda-monium for geriatric Chinese bear on her big day

See the world's oldest panda eat her cake
	578 K / 18 sec. / 160x120 QuickTime movie

April 26, 1998
Web posted at: 11:03 p.m. EDT (0303 GMT)

WUHAN, China (CNN) -- With a giant white cake and the well-wishes of visitors, Dudu, the world's oldest giant panda in captivity, celebrated her 36th birthday Friday at the zoo in central China where she's lived for the past 25 years.

Of the 117 pandas in zoos worldwide, only three others are over the age of 25. All of those are in China.

Pandas are nearly extinct in the wild, where only about 1,000 remain. But they have been making a comeback in captivity, with 179 pandas born in zoos or reserves since 1963.

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