According to the marine theme park in Hong Kong where the panda lived, An An, the oldest male giant panda kept in captivity in the world, passed away on Thursday at the age of 35. The euthanized panda had a lifespan equivalent to 105 human years.
An An’s health has been declining for a few weeks, according to a statement from Ocean Park, and his eating has also been declining “slowly but increasingly” in addition to his activity levels. He had completely quit eating by this past Sunday. The Associated Press said that the panda had high blood pressure and was being kept away from visitors as his condition deteriorated.
“An An lived a full life,” the park said, but on Thursday, veterinarians euthanized the panda after consulting with conservationists.
“An An is an indispensable member of our family and has grown together with the Park,” Paulo Pong, Ocean Park Corporation chairman, said in a statement. “… An An has brought us fond memories with numerous heart-warming moments. His cleverness and playfulness will be dearly missed.”
In 1999, An An first visited the theme park. The Chinese government sent him and Jia Jia, the world’s oldest giant panda at 38 years old until she passed away in 2016, as gifts to Hong Kong. According to the World Wildlife Fund, giant pandas typically live between 14 and 20 years in the wild.
Prior to China’s announcement that more than 1,800 of the creatures were in the wild last year, the giant panda had long been regarded as endangered. The nation had set aside at least 25% of its territory for ecological preservation and had been trying to establish nature reserves to support the survival of the species.