World's oldest male giant panda dies at age 35
An An, the world's oldest male giant panda in captivity, died Thursday following health problems at age 35.
The panda was euthanized to prevent further suffering, Hong Kong's Ocean Park said in a statement. His "cleverness and playfulness" would be dearly missed, the park's chairman Paulo Pong said.
An An was gifted to the theme park 23 years ago by the Chinese central government, along with Jia Jia, a female believed to be the world's oldest ever giant panda before her death in 2016 at age 38.
The pair were seen by millions of tourists and schoolchildren over the years, many of whom posted their memories of An An online Thursday in photos and videos.
A panda's average life span in the wild is 14-20 years, but they can live far longer in captivity, according to wildlife conservationists World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).
https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/hong-kong-giant-panda-an-an-dies-intl-hnk/index.html
RIP An An 