Rou Rou, a female red panda aged 17, was euthanized on Tuesday at Ocean Park due to age-related illnesses and deteriorating health.
The park posted on its social media that its animal care and veterinary teams had been giving Rou Rou comprehensive healthcare and closely monitoring her geriatric condition since 2021.
Despite these efforts, age-related ailments inevitably developed. In particular, degenerative joint problems made her increasingly uncomfortable, and palliative care could not ease her suffering.
After a thorough assessment of her quality of life and welfare, the team decided to perform humane euthanasia to spare Rou Rou from unnecessary suffering. “Rou Rou was surrounded by her devoted caretakers in her final moments and passed away peacefully,” the park stated.
Rou Rou, from the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, joined Ocean Park in 2009 along with red pandas Cong Cong and Tai Shan. The park described her as gentle yet lively, quickly becoming a popular animal ambassador.
Cong Cong and Tai Shan, also aged 17, currently show some geriatric issues, but are in good health and stable condition for their age.
Red pandas are classified as Endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. Their average lifespan in the wild is about 8 to 12 years, and fewer than 10,000 are estimated to remain in the wild.
