A big birthday for Belgium’s first baby panda. Many gathered to celebrate at the Pairi Daiza zoo.

CGTN’s Mariam Zaidi reports.
Follow Mariam Zaidi on Twitter @zaidi_mariam

The view might look like China, but it’s actually a wildlife park 50 km west of Brussels. And June 2nd marked a special day for one of its inhabitants.

Tian Bao, his name meaning “treasure of heaven,” is the first baby giant panda born in Belgium. He’s one of only a handful of pandas born in the last few decades in Europe. And to celebrate his first birthday, he was gifted with a new swing set.

Tian Bao was born after the successful artificial insemination of his mother, Hao Hao. She and his father, Xing Hui, were loaned to Belgium in 2014, under an arrangement with Chinese authorities. The whole panda family, especially the new addition, have been a big draw for visitors.

But the panda’s future lies in China. On his fourth birthday he will be sent back to his motherland. There, he will either be put into the giant panda breeding program or be re-introduced into the wild.

But for now at least, zookeepers and visitors alike will treasure every moment with Belgium’s honorary citizen.