The panda, named An An, was euthanized at the age of 35, which is equivalent to 105 human years. It was born in the wild in southwest China’s Sichuan province in 1986. Hong Kong’s Ocean Park, where An An has lived since 1999, said on Thursday that his health had shown steady signs of deterioration in recent weeks, with his food intake decreasing, until he finally stopped eating. “Ocean Park is deeply saddened to announce the loss of An An,” Ocean Park said in a statement. “An An is an integral member of our family and has grown up with the park. He has also built a strong bond of friendship with locals and tourists,” he added. Ocean Park shared the news of An An’s death on Facebook and invited the public to send their condolences. Thousands commented and posted photos. An and Jia Jia, the world’s oldest female giant panda, who died in 2016 aged 38, were gifts from mainland China. Two more pandas – Ying Ying and Le Le – remain at the same Hong Kong zoo. In China, everything is a symbol of harmony, friendship and peace. Outside of China, they have been used as part of Beijing’s international diplomacy since the 1950s. For many years, experts worried that the animal was on the verge of extinction. Last year, Chinese officials said the giant pandas were no longer endangered in the wild, but remained vulnerable with an out-of-captive population of 1,800. Reuters contributed to this report
