World's oldest male panda dies at age 31

Giant Panda, Pan Pan helped to save his species with more than 130 descendants.

Giant panda,Pan Pan, was born in the wilds of the southwestern province of Sichuan in 1985 and lived in captivity for more than 30 years.
TRT World and Agencies

Giant panda,Pan Pan, was born in the wilds of the southwestern province of Sichuan in 1985 and lived in captivity for more than 30 years.

The world's oldest male giant panda has died in Sichuan, China at the age of 31,after being diagnosed with cancer, officials said.

Giant pandas were classified on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Red List as an endangered species but were downgraded to vulnerable in September this year.

Pan pan whose name means hope in Chinese fathered with more than 130 children and grandchildren, made a quarter of all pandas in captivity his descendents.

"In the past three days, Pan Pan's condition rapidly deteriorated, losing consciousness and the ability to move and eat," the China Conservation and Research Center for Giant Pandas said as announcing the death of him on a verified social media account on Friday.

"He left us forever after rescue efforts by medical personnel proved futile. We hope that there is no more suffering from illness in heaven." it added.

AFP

Pan Pan, the oldest male panda of the world was suffering from cancer.

The giant panda was born in the wilds of the southwestern province of Sichuan in 1985, but lived in captivity for most of his life since he was few months old.

The average life expectancy of wild giant pandas is around 20 years, but those in captivity generally live longer.

Route 6