An An, world’s oldest captive male giant panda dies at Ocean Park aged 35

Hong Kong’s beloved An An, world’s oldest-ever male giant panda in captivity, was euthanized Thursday at the Hong Kong Ocean Park where he lived because his health had deteriorated.

Ocean Park said in a statement that a veterinarian euthanized the 35-year-old animal to prevent further suffering and for ethical reasons.

“An An lived a full life that ended at the respectable age of 35 – the equivalent of 105 years in human age,” the statement added.

An An has been kept out of visitors’ sight over the past fortnight because of health issues. The park said the giant panda’s health showed steady signs of deterioration over the past few weeks, with his food intake declining slowly but progressively. 

“By July 17, he had stopped taking solid food altogether and only drank water and electrolyte beverage. In addition, his activity levels declined while his rest periods became extended. Ocean Park provided medical care to alleviate the geriatric giant panda’s discomfort,” the statement read.

It added that An An’s condition reached a humane endpoint today after veterinarians made the difficult decision to perform the procedure of humane euthanasia on the giant panda, with the procedure conducted by Dr. Paolo Martelli, Director for Veterinary Service of Ocean Park, at about 8.40am this morning.

“An An is an indispensable member of our family and has grown together with the Park. He has also built a strong bond of friendship with locals and tourists alike. An An has brought us fond memories with numerous heart-warming moments. His cleverness and playfulness will be dearly missed,” said Paulo Pong, Chairman of Ocean Park Corporation in the statement.

The animal, born in Sichuan province in southwestern China, arrived in Hong Kong in 1999 along with a female giant panda named Jia Jia as a gift from Beijing to the city. The latter died in 2016, aged 38.

There are two other giant pandas at the park, female Ying Ying and male Le Le, who were given to Hong Kong by the central government in 2007 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the city’s return to Chinese rule. The pair have yet to produce any babies despite years of mating attempts.