Ling Ling 1985-2008
Japan’s oldest giant panda, Ling Ling, a longtime star at Tokyo’s largest zoo and a symbol of friendship with China, died today of heart failure, zookeepers said.
Ling Ling was 22 years and seven months old, equivalent to about 70 human years, the Ueno Zoo said. It said he was the fifth-oldest known male panda in the world. (AFP/Getty Images)
Keepers and visitors mourned the panda, which was the zoo’s most popular attraction for more than 15 years. Public broadcaster NHK showed many visitors writing condolence messages, with some brushing away tears. (AFP/Getty Images)
Ling Ling’s portrait was displayed inside his cage, along with bouquets and offerings of his favorite bamboo shoots. (AFP/Getty Images)
Ling Ling died just one day after the zoo withdrew him from public view because of his worsening health.
Born at China’s Beijing Zoo in 1985, Ling Ling came to Tokyo in 1992. He had traveled to Mexico three times in recent years for unsuccessful mating. (Eduardo Verdugo / Associated Press)
Ling Ling was the only giant panda owned by Japan, with eight other pandas elsewhere in the country all loaned by China, according to media reports.
With Ling Ling’s loss, Ueno Zoo is without a panda for the first time since 1972, when the first panda couple arrived from China to mark the signing of bilateral peace treaty. (AFP/Getty Images)
Ida said the zoo is currently consulting with the Foreign Ministry about obtaining another panda from China.
The regional newspaper Tokyo Shimbun reported Tuesday that Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda may ask Chinese President
Giant pandas are one of the world’s rarest animals, with about 1,600 living in the wild in China, mostly in Sichuan and Shaanxi provinces. (Liu Jin / AFP/Getty Images)
