Giant panda Xin Xin dies of renal failure in Macau
Print Edition
XIN Xin, the female panda given by the Chinese mainland as a gift to Macau more than three years ago, passed away in Seac Pai Van Park on Sunday.
The 6-year-old died of kidney failure after being diagnosed with abnormal renal function during a routine checkup at the end of last month, the Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau of Macau said.
Though the animal did not at first appear to be sick, keepers at the park noticed she seemed lethargic. As a precaution, experts from the Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Center in southwest China’s Sichuan Province — where Xin Xin and her 6-year-old mate Kai Kai were born — traveled to Macau to see her.
After a week in their care, Xin Xin appeared to be back to normal and the experts returned home.
Soon after, however, the panda entered her estrous period, during which she became extremely sensitive and anxious. She also lost her appetite, which aggravated her kidney problems, the bureau said.
Xin Xin collapsed on Sunday night and despite efforts to save her died at 8:18pm, the bureau told a press conference yesterday.
The Chengdu experts returned to Macau yesterday to try to determine exactly what happened to Xin Xin.
Kai Kai, meanwhile, is said to be in good health, though keepers in the Macau park are keeping a close eye on him.
For the time being, the giant panda enclosure at the park has been closed to the public.
According to Hong Kong radio, Fernando Chui Sai On, chief executive of Macau, has asked the central government for a replacement female to keep Kai Kai company.
The central government gifted the two bears to Macau on December 18, 2010 to mark the 10th anniversary of the island’s return to the motherland. In the years that followed they attracted more than 500,000 visitors, China National Radio reported.
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