The vets had to make a painful choice.
On Thursday morning, they were forced to euthanize the world's oldest captive panda.
An An, oldest giant panda, has died aged 35.
His health had deteriorated in recent weeks, his physical activity and appetite having decreased sharply.
Its disappearance was announced by Ocean Park, the amusement park and zoo in Hong Kong where the animal has spent the majority of its life.
Offered in 1999
His age is equivalent in human to 105 years, the park said.
The “difficult decision” to euthanize was made for welfare reasons, in consultation with Chinese experts.
The average lifespan of a panda in the wild is 14 to 20 years, according to endangered species conservation organization WWF.
These animals have difficulty reproducing especially when they are in captivity.
They are classified as “vulnerable” by the WWF with 1,864 individuals living in the wild.
Born in the wild in Sichuan, a province in mainland China, An An was one of a pair of pandas given to Hong Kong by Beijing to celebrate the second anniversary of the city's handover from Britain in 1999. When hen they arrived in Hong Kong, the city's then chief executive, Tung Chee-hwa, said their names would inspire the city to be stable (An) and successful (Jia).
A couple with many records
An An and his partner Jia Jia spent the rest of their lives in Ocean Park.
They were a venerable couple.
Jia Jia held the Guinness World Records for oldest living panda and oldest living panda in captivity when he died aged 38 in 2016.
After Jia Jia's death, her surviving companion led a rather solitary life.
In 2021, he celebrated his 35th birthday alone with an iced fruit and bamboo cake, surrounded by several birthday cards handmade by park staff.
Company
Animal abuse: The new purchase and adoption rules are becoming clearer
Planet
Kenya: Giraffe gives birth to twins in Nairobi park
Panda
hong kong
Animals
Zoo
beijing
Planet