Giant panda Susu has died of illness in southwest China at the grand age of 34, which is the human equivalent to a centenarian.
According to a statement released by the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding earlier today, the 34-year-old female panda died on Friday of multiple organ failure which often occurs in aged pandas.
The research base did not announce her death until the autopsy result was complete.
Born in the wild, Susu was shot by local residents in Leshan, Sichuang Province in May 1986, an incident which left her without sight in her right eye. She was transferred to the Chengdu Zoo after experts estimated Susu to have been born in 1983.
However, misfortune struck again when Susu lost her breath for more than three hours due to anaesthesia in March 1987. The tough panda made it through after suffering from shock for 25 hours.
She has given birth to twin daughters and a son name Cobi, who passed away on February 2.
The average life expectancy of giant pandas is 18-20 years in the wild, and 30 in captivity. The oldest living giant panda Basi celebrated its 37th birthday in Fuzhou, Fujian Province on January 18.
