World’s oldest giant panda in captivity dies at 35

An An, the world’s oldest giant male panda in captivity and less than human care, has died at the age of 35 in Hong Kong.

According to officials at Hong Kong’s Ocean Park where An An experienced invested the the greater part of his lifetime, his well being had deteriorated progressively in excess of the earlier a number of weeks when his caretakers observed a obvious decrease in his day-to-day bodily activities and food items intake. By July 17, officials explained he had stopped taking in stable foods altogether and was only consuming electrolyte drinks.

“His problem reached a humane endpoint that primarily based on animal welfare good reasons, veterinarians from Ocean Park and the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department made the complicated choice to perform the method of humane euthanasia on An An soon after consulting the China Conservation and Investigate Centre for the Huge Panda,” study a statement from Ocean Park Hong Kong on social media.

The course of action was carried out at roughly 8:40 a.m. at An An’s dwelling in The Hong Kong Jockey Club Sichuan Treasures at Ocean Park. His age of 35-several years-aged is roughly equal to 105-decades-old in human age.

An An, who was born in 1986, experienced lived at Ocean Park considering that 1999 when he and his companion Jia Jia were gifted to Hong Kong by China’s central governing administration. Jia Jia handed absent on October 16, 2016, in accordance to a statement produced at the time of her death by Ocean Park. Jia Jia was also stated as the oldest huge panda residing in captivity when she passed away pretty much six decades ago.

“We are really thankful for the possibility to acquire care of Jia Jia and An An all over the years so that the Park could build into an important foundation for panda conservation,” the chairman of Ocean Park Corportaion, Paolo Pong, claimed in a push launch. “Since this prolonged-residing panda duo’s arrival at Ocean Park in 1999, they have supported the Park’s endeavours in marketing character and ecosystems to readers as its ambassadors.”

A e-book of condolences has been opened up at An An’s household as perfectly as on-line for people today to pay their tributes to the beloved bear.

Stated Pong: “An An is an indispensable member of our relatives and has developed together with the Park. He has also built a strong bond of friendship with locals and visitors alike. An An has introduced us fond reminiscences with a lot of heart-warming moments. His cleverness and playfulness will be dearly missed … His legacy will keep as the greatest testimony to the Park’s ongoing motivation to providing most effective-in-class husbandry and medical care for huge pandas, with China Conservation and Investigate Centre for the Large Panda as an critical husband or wife in all factors more than the many years. An An and Jia Jia’s mission will be furthered by big pandas Ying Ying and Le Le residing at Big Panda Journey.”