Panda marks third birthday in Thailand

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CHIANG MAI, Thailand, Aug. 27 (UPI) -- A Chinese consul general in Thailand presented a cake to the first giant panda born in the country to mark its third birthday.

The Chiang Mai Zoo said it celebrated the third birthday of panda Lin Ping about three months after the actual anniversary and Zhang Weicai, China's consul general in Chiang Mai, attended the celebration, bringing a four-layer iced cake topped with fruits for the animal, MCOT reported Monday.

Zhang praised Thailand and the zoo for taking care of Lin Ping and her parents, mother Lin Hui and father Chuang Chuang. The pandas are currently scheduled to return to China next year but Zhang said he would lobby Chinese officials to allow the pandas to remain in Thailand longer.