The ‘Oldest Male Giant Panda’ in the world passed away on Friday in a Zoo in Hong Kong. An An, a panda, was put to death at the age of 35, which equals 105 years in human years.
After being given to Hong Kong by China in 1999, An and a female panda spent the majority of their lives at Ocean Park. He lived out the remainder of his days in Ocean Park with his friend Jia Jia.
‘An An’ and ‘Jia Jia‘
A venerable duo, “Jia Jia was the oldest panda alive and the oldest panda ever kept captive when she passed away in 2016 at the age of 38”. Jia Jia’s companion continued to live alone when she passed away in 2021, he celebrated his 35th birthday by himself with a Haagen-Dazs fruit and bamboo ice cake while surrounded by several handcrafted birthday cards from the Park’s personnel.
‘Cause of Death’
‘An An’ had elevated blood pressure for the past three weeks, a condition that affects geriatric pandas frequently. As An An’s condition deteriorated, he was kept hidden from park visitors. He quit eating solids and has been somewhat less active lately.
An An was mourned by Ocean Park as a family member who developed ties with both locals and visitors as the park grew.
“An An has given us many good memories and touching experiences. His wit and humour will be sorely missed, said the Ocean Park Corporation chairman Paulo Pong. “An An lived a full life, which came to an honourable end at the age of 35”.
To commemorate the tenth anniversary of the city’s restoration to China, Hong Kong received another panda pair in 2007—Ying Ying, a female, and Le Le, a male.
China commonly engages in “panda diplomacy” where the mammals exclusively found in China are leased to other countries as a sign of goodwill.
Vulnerable Species:
The World Wildlife Fund estimates that a panda has a 14–20 year lifespan in the wild. They are notoriously poor breeders, especially when kept in captivity. With 1,864 known wild pandas, the WWF classifies them as “vulnerable”.
image credit : getty images
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