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'Oldest' panda in captivity Jia Jia dies at the age of 38 | 'Oldest' panda in captivity Jia Jia dies at the age of 38 |
(about 5 hours later) | |
A giant panda believed to have been the oldest ever kept in captivity has died at the age of 38, officials say. | A giant panda believed to have been the oldest ever kept in captivity has died at the age of 38, officials say. |
The death of Jia Jia, whose age in human terms was more than 100 years, was announced by the Hong Kong theme park where she lived. | The death of Jia Jia, whose age in human terms was more than 100 years, was announced by the Hong Kong theme park where she lived. |
Her condition had worsened rapidly in recent weeks and she had lost her appetite, the park said. | |
She was put down by vets at Ocean Park, her home since 1999. | |
"She was a member of our family and she will be deeply missed... she has served as an important animal ambassador for her species," the park said in a statement. | |
The park said that in the last two weeks, Jia Jia's daily food intake had dropped from over 10kg to less than 3kg per day, and she had lost weight. | |
"Over the past few days, she has been spending less time awake and showing no interest in food or fluids. | |
"Her condition became worse this morning. Jia Jia was not able to walk about without difficulties and spent the day laying down." | |
Vets took the decision to put the giant panda down to prevent suffering, the park said. | |
In a statement obtained by BBC Chinese, a Hong Kong government spokesman thanked the park for providing Jia Jia with care and support and added that it was "saddened" by the news. | In a statement obtained by BBC Chinese, a Hong Kong government spokesman thanked the park for providing Jia Jia with care and support and added that it was "saddened" by the news. |
The park in Hong Kong held a high-profile celebration for Jia Jia's 37th birthday at her enclosure in July 2015. | The park in Hong Kong held a high-profile celebration for Jia Jia's 37th birthday at her enclosure in July 2015. |
Born in 1978 in the wild in Sichuan, China, Jia Jia was given to Hong Kong in 1999 to mark the semi-autonomous city's handover by Britain two years earlier. | Born in 1978 in the wild in Sichuan, China, Jia Jia was given to Hong Kong in 1999 to mark the semi-autonomous city's handover by Britain two years earlier. |
Pandas normally live to around 20 years of age in the wild, and 25 in captivity. | Pandas normally live to around 20 years of age in the wild, and 25 in captivity. |
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