'Kobe-ui Agassi,' Japan's Oldest Panda, Passes Away... Waves of Mourning Across Japan

Japan's oldest panda, "Tantan," nicknamed "The Lady of Kobe," passed away on the 1st (local time), Japanese media unanimously reported. Tantan, who was at Kobe Municipal Oji Zoo, was born in September 1995 and was 28 years old. Among the giant pandas in Japan, she was the oldest, equivalent to being in her 80s in human years.

The robust appearance during life
[Photo by Kobe Oji Zoo]

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During the 2000 Hanshin earthquake, China gifted a pair of pandas to console Japan. Among them, the male was Koko, and the female was Tantan. The male Koko and the baby pandas have already passed away, leaving only Tantan remaining.

Tantan was originally scheduled to be returned to China in 2020, but the plan was temporarily halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, she was diagnosed with heart disease, raising health concerns that led to another postponement. So far, the return has been extended four times.

The robust appearance during life
[Photo by Kobe Oji Zoo]

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According to Oji Zoo, since October last year, Tantan's appetite and activity levels decreased, and she spent more time sleeping. After consultations between Japan and China, it was decided to extend the return deadline until the end of December 2024.

Meanwhile, the oldest recorded giant panda to date is "Shinshin." Shinshin passed away in 2020 at the age of 38 in a Chinese zoo, which is equivalent to an astonishing 134 years in human age.

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