Tai Shan marks first birthday

Just a year ago, baby Tai Shan was a hairless, pink blob weighing no more than a hundred grams. That's less than the average New York bagel. But yesterday saw the 27-kilogram panda cub celebrate his first birthday -- as an undoubted star at the Washington Zoo in the United States.

Tai Shan, the giant panda cub at Smithsonian's National Zoo digs into a special  frozen treat he received on his first birthday, July 9, 2006. His mother Mei Xiang  looks on before joining him.

Tai Shan's mother, Mei Xiang, watched as her cub munched his way through a birthday feast of yams, apples, carrots and frozen fruit-juice. Numerous visitors were on hand to sing their birthday greetings to the cub, whose name means "Peaceful Mountain".

Zoo officials say he is not fully weaned, but has begun to mix bamboo with mother's milk.

An earlier agreement between China and the Washington Zoo brought Tai Shan's parents, Mei Xiang and Tian Tian, to the U.S. as part of a breeding program. And Tai Shan himself must return to China when he is two years old ... to play his part in a program aimed at preserving this endangered species.

Tai Shan, the giant panda cub at Smithsonian's National Zoo shares a special  frozen treat he received on his first birthday, July 9, 2006, with his mother  Mei Xiang.

Tai Shan, the giant panda cub at Smithsonian's National Zoo explores a new pool  he received from Fujifilm on his first birthday, July 9, 2006.