The emblematic Chapultepec Zoo in Mexico said goodbye to the country’s oldest giant panda, Shuan Shuan, on July 6, 2022. A few hours after celebrating her 35th birthday and accompanied by various people, the mythical panda died, according to the Ministry of the Environment in a statement:
“Today we say goodbye to Shuan Shuan with immense gratitude for teaching us about the conservation of his species, a panda that was a symbol of the friendship of Mexico and China” – Sedema
Shuan Shuan was a peculiar panda, since it exceeded the average lifespan of its species, which is around 20 years, even when the specimens are in their natural habitat. This is how this beautiful panda earned the title of the oldest giant panda in all of Mexico.
Shuan Shuan was a peculiar panda, since it exceeded the average lifespan of its species, which is around 20 years, even when the specimens are in their natural habitat. This is how this beautiful panda earned the title of the oldest giant panda in all of Mexico.
How did pandas get to Mexico?
Among the native species of Mexico there is certainly not the panda and the arrival of this species to the country does not really mean much either. It was exactly on September 10, 1975 when Mexico and Mexico decided to reaffirm their diplomatic relations and to celebrate the meeting the Asian nation brought two representatives.
The pandas Ying Ying and Pe Pe were the first giant pandas to reach Mexican soil. They are the parents of Shuan Shuan and six other babies, including Tohuí, who also celebrated her birthday this July 6.
In total eight babies were born in the facilities of the Chapultepec Zoo. All of them help the conservation of the species, which for now remains at a population of 1,800 in the wild in China and more than 500 in breeding centers and zoos in other regions.