THE oldest giant panda living in Japan, Tan Tan, has died at the age of 28 at a zoo in the western Japanese city of Kobe. She spent about 24 years there as a symbol of recovery from the Great Hanshin Earthquake that struck the region in 1995, the Kobe Oji Zoo said Monday.

Originally known as Shuang Shuang at her birth in September 1995, Tan Tan suffered severe heart failure and died Sunday, as confirmed by the China Wildlife Conservation Association. The female giant panda, whose age was equivalent to being in her 80s in human years, was under treatment after being found with heart disease in March 2021. She is believed to have died from prostration caused by the disease, according to the zoo.

A zookeeper found Tan Tan in a state of cardiopulmonary arrest shortly past 10 p.m. local time Sunday, and her death was confirmed at 11.56 p.m. local time after a veterinarian performed resuscitation.

Tan Tan’s remains will return to China after proper treatment. Typically, giant pandas are considered elderly after 20. Similar to humans, common age-related diseases such as cataracts and hypertension are prevalent among elderly giant pandas, and as a type of cardiovascular disease, heart disease is also common.

Tan Tan went to the zoo from China in 2000 under a 10-year lease, but her stay was prolonged after the Chinese side agreed to extend the contract for five years twice.

The panda had been scheduled to be sent back to China in July 2020, but the trip was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. After the pandemic, her return was put off again due to the need for medical treatment following the diagnosis of age-related cardiac disease in 2021.

The zoo had refrained from showcasing the giant panda for the general public since early 2022 due to her health condition. Since late 2023, Tan Tan had been less active and sleeping longer.

At a news conference Monday, the zoo’s director Yujiro Kako said the giant panda had given courage to local residents and children for nearly 24 years, especially after the earthquake.

She added: “We sincerely wish to express our gratitude to everyone who has shown interest in and love for giant panda Tan Tan over the years.”

Meanwhile, fans, some tearful, braved rain at the Everland park in South Korea to bid farewell to their beloved giant panda Fu Bao before her departure to China on Wednesday.

Fu Bao has been a major attraction at the theme park near Seoul since she was born there in 2020 to pandas Ai Bao and Le Bao, who came from China in 2016 on a 15-year lease program.

Giant pandas, native to China and classified as a first-class protected wildlife species, are referred to as national treasures and are beloved by people around the world. Since the 1990s, China has collaborated on giant panda conservation with 26 institutions from 20 countries.

The global population of giant pandas in captivity has grown to 728 individuals, while the population of wild giant pandas in China has increased to nearly 1,900, according to an announcement from the National Forestry and Grassland Administration in January.(SD-Agencies)