A giant panda in Hong Kong believed to have been the oldest ever kept in captivity has died at the age of 38
Jia Jia. Pic/AFP
A giant panda in Hong Kong believed to have been the oldest ever kept in captivity has died at the age of 38.
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Hong Kong theme park, where she lived announced the death of Jia Jia, whose age in human terms was more than 114 years. The park in a statement 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.
She was put down by vets at Ocean Park on Sunday evening to prevent further suffering and for ethical reasons.
"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.
Guinness World Records had recognised Jia Jia as the oldest giant panda to live in captivity. The average lifespan for a panda in the wild is 18 to 20 years, while in captivity it's 30 years, according to Guinness.
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.
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