World’s Oldest Panda, Eimei, Passes Away

SHANGHAI, Feb 14 (Bernama-Kyodo) -- A Chinese giant panda research centre announced Friday that Eimei, repatriated from Japan in 2023, passed away in late January at the age of 32—equivalent to 100 human years, reported Kyodo.

Eimei, who fathered 16 cubs at a zoo in western Japan's Wakayama Prefecture and was recognised as the world's oldest giant panda in captivity to produce offspring through natural breeding, died on Jan 25 after succumbing to multiple organ failure, Kyodo News reported, citing Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in Sichuan Province.

In his final days, Eimei experienced declining health, with symptoms such as lethargy, reduced appetite and breathing difficulties. The centre expressed deep sorrow over the passing of the panda, which "opened a new chapter in international conservation cooperation for giant pandas."

Eimei arrived in Japan on loan in 1994 at the age of one and spent nearly three decades at Adventure World Zoo in Wakayama as part of a breeding cooperation programme between the two Asian nations.

In February 2023, he was returned to China along with his twin daughters, Ouhin and Touhin.

-- BERNAMA-KYODO