HONG KONG (AP) — The oldest-ever male giant panda in captivity has died at age 35 after his health deteriorated.
An An lived most of his life at a Hong Kong theme park after he and a female panda were gifted to Hong Kong by China in 1999.
Jia Jia died in 2016 at age 38, making her the oldest-ever panda in captivity.
Ocean Park mourned An An as a family member who built bonds with locals and tourists and said his cleverness and playfulness would be missed.
"The park announces with sadness that the "100-year-old Xiong Rui", the giant panda An Anchu, passed away today (July 21, 2022) at the age of 35, which is equivalent to 105 years old for a human," the park said in a statement on its Facebook page.
He had been kept from the sight of park visitors in recent weeks as his health worsened.
Officials said that his eating and activity levels had also dropped significantly over the past few weeks.
An An was euthanized to prevent further suffering Thursday after veterinarians consulted with China's panda conservation center.
