Last Thursday, the oldest panda living in captivity, An An, died at the age of 35 at Hong Kong’s Ocean Park.
After the panda struggled for weeks, park officials and veterinarians decided to put him down. He was refusing to eat solid foods and relied mostly on water and electrolytes, which was a big change from his normal diet of about 30 pounds of bamboo per day.
An An was the oldest male giant panda in history because she lived to 35. The average lifespan of a panda is 14 to 20 years. Thirty five years in panda years is equivalent to 105 human years. One human year is equivalent to approximately three panda years.
Two other pandas, Jia Jia, and Xin Xing were also famous for their longevity. Jia Jia and Xin Xing both lived to 38 years old, though Jia Jia outlived Xin Xing.
As of last year, pandas are nearly extinct. 1,800 pandas are in the wild in China and there are only 500 captives worldwide. China owns every giant panda in the world besides Xin Xin and Shaun Shaun, who are owned by a zoo in Mexico City.
An An will be greatly missed by visitors to his exhibit. “An An is an indispensable member of our family and has grown together with the park. He has brought us fond memories with numerous heart-warming moments. His cleverness and playfulness will be dearly missed,” said Paulo Pong, the chairman of the Ocean Park corporation.
After the panda struggled for weeks, park officials and veterinarians decided to put him down. He was refusing to eat solid foods and relied mostly on water and electrolytes, which was a big change from his normal diet of about 30 pounds of bamboo per day.
An An was the oldest male giant panda in history because she lived to 35. The average lifespan of a panda is 14 to 20 years. Thirty five years in panda years is equivalent to 105 human years. One human year is equivalent to approximately three panda years.
Two other pandas, Jia Jia, and Xin Xing were also famous for their longevity. Jia Jia and Xin Xing both lived to 38 years old, though Jia Jia outlived Xin Xing.
As of last year, pandas are nearly extinct. 1,800 pandas are in the wild in China and there are only 500 captives worldwide. China owns every giant panda in the world besides Xin Xin and Shaun Shaun, who are owned by a zoo in Mexico City.
An An will be greatly missed by visitors to his exhibit. “An An is an indispensable member of our family and has grown together with the park. He has brought us fond memories with numerous heart-warming moments. His cleverness and playfulness will be dearly missed,” said Paulo Pong, the chairman of the Ocean Park corporation.
