CNA – A giant panda on loan from China to Thailand who captivated animal lovers through a 24-hour live broadcast of her antics died yesterday aged 21, said the zoo where she was housed.
Lin Hui was the last of three pandas in Thailand and had lived in an air-conditioned enclosure at Chiang Mai Zoo since 2003, but was due to return to China in October.
The notoriously shy bear and her mate Chuang Chuang – who died of a heart attack in 2019 – were part of Beijing’s so-called “panda diplomacy” programme.
Zoo Director Wutthichai Muangman said Lin Hui suffered a nosebleed on Tuesday and was in critical condition by the evening, before dying in the early hours yesterday.
Chairman of the Zoological Park Organisation of Thailand Dejboon Maprasert said Chinese and Thai experts would jointly conduct an autopsy.
