An An, the world’s oldest male giant panda living in captivity, died in a Hong Kong theme park on Thursday.
The panda was 35 years old — the equivalent of 105 human years, according to Ocean Park, where An An lived most of his life.
Ocean Park, a large aquarium and educational theme park, released a statement informing the public of An An’s “humane euthanasia” procedure. The park claimed the procedure was deemed necessary after An An’s health steadily declined and he began refusing food.
“By 17 July 2022, he had stopped taking solid food altogether and only drank water and electrolyte beverage,” Ocean Park wrote in the statement. “In addition, his activity levels declined while his rest periods became extended.”
Ocean Park claimed their officials provided medical care to the geriatric panda in order to alleviate his discomfort.
The decision to euthanize An An was made after veterinarians from Ocean Park and the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department consulted the China Conservation and Research Centre for the Giant Panda.
An An died Thursday morning at his residence in The Hong Kong Jockey Club Sichuan Treasures, the theme park wrote.
“An An is an indispensable member of our family and has grown together with the Park,” said Paulo Pong, chairman of Ocean Park Corporation in the statement. “He has also built a strong bond of friendship with locals and tourists alike.
“An An has brought us fond memories with numerous heartwarming moments. His cleverness and playfulness will be dearly missed.”
The panda arrived in Hong Kong in March of 1999 with another female giant panda named Jia Jia.
An An and Jia Jia were given to Hong Kong as a gift from Beijing.
Jia Jia died in 2016 when she was 38, making her the longest-living female panda ever kept in captivity.
There remain two giant pandas still at Ocean Park in Hong Kong, female Ying Ying and male Le Le, who arrived at the park in 2007.
Ocean Park has invited park guests and international admirers of An An to leave condolence messages on the park’s Facebook page as a tribute to the deceased animal.
According to the World Wildlife Fund, giant pandas typically live longer in captivity than in their natural habitat. The average lifespan of a wild giant panda is 14-20 years, whereas captive pandas can typically live up to 30 years.
Last year, Chinese officials removed the giant panda from the endangered species list. They were reclassified as “vulnerable,” as there are now more than 1,800 giant pandas currently in the wild.
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