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Jia Jia, whose
name means "good", had been gifted to Hong Kong in 1999 along
with another panda, to mark the second anniversary of the city's
handover from former colonial ruler Britain.
In recent weeks Jia Jia's food consumption had sharply declined
from over 10kg (22 pounds) to less than three kg (six pounds)
per day and her average weight dropped from 71kg (156 pounds) to
around 67kg (147 pounds).
"Over the past few days, she has been spending less time awake
and showing no interest in food or fluids. Her condition became
worse this morning. Jia Jia was not able to walk about without
difficulties and spent the day laying down," Ocean Park said in
a statement posted on its website.
"Her state became so debilitated that based on ethical reasons
and in order to prevent suffering, veterinarians ... agreed to a
humane euthanasia for Jia Jia."
Pandas are endangered because most of their natural habitat has
been destroyed for timber, farming and construction, according
to the World Wildlife Fund.
A Chinese government survey in 2014 estimated 1,864 pandas live
in the wild, up 17 percent from 2003. They also have an
exceptionally short breeding season, with females fertile for
just 24 to 36 hours a year, says a nonprofit body, Pandas
International.
(Reporting by Farah Master; Editing by Michael Perry)
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