China's oldest panda turns 38, equivalent to 114 in human age
Jia Jia, holder of the Guinness World Record for the oldest panda in captivity, has turned 38 years
old – an age equivalent to 114 in human years.
The female giant panda, weighing 73 kilograms, celebrated her birthday in Hong Kong’s Ocean
Park on Monday, enjoying a festive moment sharing a cake with three of her friends, according
to China National Radio (CNR). Sadly, Jia Jia is prone to disease due to her age. She has to take
medicines every day to ease blood pressure and maintain her health, said CNR. Her vision is also
severely impaired and her hearing has deteriorated.Born in the Chinese mainland in 1978, Jia Jia
was gifted to Hong Kong in 1999 to mark the second anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to China.
Giant pandas are one of the world's most endangered species. At the end of 2013, there were
1,864 left in the wild, an increase of 17% over a previous survey conducted in 2003, according to
China’s State Forestry Administration. At the same time, there were more than 300 pandas
living in captivity.