Mei Mei,?a female giant panda, passed away at the age of 36
late Tuesday afternoon in Guilin City in south China's Guangxi
Zhuang Autonomous Region. She was 108 in human years.
Before she died, Mei Mei, who was the world's oldest panda, was
having difficulty eating and had been suffering from organ failure,
according to sources with the Guilin City Zoo, where Mei Mei lived
for 20 years.
Despite desperate efforts by veterinarians to save the beloved
animal, Mei Mei died at around 5:37 PM on Tuesday.
Mei Mei used to live at the Wolong
Nature Reserve in southwest China's Sichuan
Province before she was transferred to Guilin in September
1985.
"She entertained many visitors from home and abroad, and
remained the most popular animal in the zoo throughout her stay
here," said zookeeper Chen Qian.
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(Xinhua News Agency July 13, 2005)