Pandas devour ice cake to celebrate 50 years at US National Zoo

Giant pandas Mei Xiang, left and her cub Xiao Qi Ji, tuck into the cake (AP)

The US National Zoo’s most famous tenants have enjoyed a special breakfast in front of adoring crowds as the attraction celebrated 50 years of its panda exchange agreement with the Chinese government.

The “cake” was made from frozen fruit juice, sweet potatoes, carrots and sugar cane, and it lasted about 15 minutes once giant panda mama Mei Xiang and her cub Xiao Qi Ji got hold of it at the Smithsonian National Zoological Park in Washington, DC.