FINAL RESULT
i found the panda pic online ! so insert disclaimers here, and big thank yous go to the owner (please don't sue me) . I ended up enlarging the pic on my pc and tracing it on my monitor (tsk tsk) ... and then i cut it out as a stencil. The base is the no-bake cheesecake so while it was still firming up i pressed the cutout into it giving me the outline of the bear. I free-handed the inner bits of course. The poor excuses for bamboo plants (NOT CELERY !) are cut green twizzlers and runny green icing (I wonder what it'll look like in the morning). I wanted to add some text (in addition to obligatory happy birthday) to the cake but I had a really painful time writing so i covered it all up with almonds ... aka the ground. I opted not to fill in the panda with white icing as I was sure i'd make a terrible mess of things.
Cake innards - brownie/graham crust, choco cheesecake (with some coffee and gran marnier added in), a layer of almond filling on that part and then the plain no-bake cheesecake on top.