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Associated Press

Giant panda Le Le has died, the Memphis Zoo announced on Friday.
The panda, born on July 18, 1998, died on Wednesday, zoo spokesperson Rebecca Winchester said in an email. His cause of death has yet to be determined as a medical investigation is pending, the zoo said.
“Le Le’s name translates to ‘happy happy,’ and his name perfectly reflected his personality,” the zoo said in a statement.
“Le Le was a happy bear that enjoyed apples, engaging with enrichment and relaxing while covering himself with freshly shredded bamboo. He had an easy-going personality and was a favourite of all who met and worked with him over the years.”
Bye-bye Ya Ya and Le Le: Memphis pandas to be returned to China
Le Le’s peaceful death as he slept was “sudden and unexpected” with no indication that he was sick, zoo president and CEO Matt Thompson said at a news conference on Friday. Nothing in video footage from the days leading up to Le Le’s death indicated that there was anything wrong with him, he said.
Le Le had been at the zoo since 2003 and was expected to return to China soon with female panda Ya Ya as a loan agreement ended with the Chinese Association of Zoological Gardens.
Advocacy groups In defence of Animals and Panda Voices raised concerns about the pandas’ conditions in the past and applauded the animals’ planned return to China.
In recent days, Panda Voices members watching the panda cam saw Le Le collapse and when they tried to get information about his condition, they were told there were no known health issues, according to Tom Clemenson, the group’s US spokesman.
“We are absolutely devastated,” Clemenson said. “Our fight continues. We will investigate as best we can.”

When asked about these allegations, Thompson, who referred to Le Le and Ya Ya as “two of the most spoiled animals on the planet,” said the groups had made false accusations over the years.
Days before the panda’s death, there were a couple of hours when he was not eating well, perhaps due to a stomach upset, but it didn’t continue and he was “completely normal” a short time after, senior veterinary surgeon Felicia Knightly said. Experts from the US and China will complete a postmortem examination, she said.
The life expectancy of a giant panda in the wild is about 15 years, but in captivity they have lived to be as old as 38. Decades of conservation efforts in the wild and study in captivity saved the giant panda from extinction, increasing its population from fewer than 1,000 at one time to more than 1,800 in the wild and captivity.


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United States

Giant panda Le Le dies after 20 years at Memphis Zoo

Giant panda Le Le eats bamboo in his habitat at the Memphis Zoo in Tennessee. File photo: Reuters

Visitors watch female panda Ya Ya at the Memphis Zoo. File photo: AP

Down to its last panda, Mexico wonders what could come next

Xin Xin, the last giant panda in Latin America, sits inside her enclosure at the Chapultepec Zoo, in Mexico City. Photo: AP

Xin Xin in her enclosure where she passes the time relaxing in a hammock and padding tranquilly around looking for bamboo or her favourite red apples that her caretaker sometimes hides. Photo: AP

Xin Xin sits inside her enclosure munching on bamboo at the Chapultepec Zoo, in Mexico City. Photo: AP

Bye-bye Ya Ya and Le Le: Memphis pandas to be returned to China

Two-year-old female panda Ya Ya arrives in Memphis, Tennessee on loan from Beijing, China in 2003. Ya Ya and another panda, Le Le, are being returned to China. Photo: Reuters

Singer Billie Eilish in October. Photo: FilmMagic

News

World

United States & Canada

China

The zoo’s president said Le Le’s peaceful death as he slept was ‘sudden and unexpected’ with no indication that he was sick
The animal had been at the facility since 2003 and was expected to return to China soon with female panda Ya Ya


The zoo’s president said Le Le’s peaceful death as he slept was ‘sudden and unexpected’ with no indication that he was sick.


Pandas

Animals

Giant panda Le Le dies after 20 years at Memphis Zoo

The zoo’s president said Le Le’s peaceful death as he slept was ‘sudden and unexpected’ with no indication that he was sick The animal had been at the facility since 2003 and was expected to return to China soon with female panda Ya Ya

The zoo’s president said Le Le’s peaceful death as he slept was ‘sudden and unexpected’ with no indication that he was sick

The animal had been at the facility since 2003 and was expected to return to China soon with female panda Ya Ya