Giant Panda From China Dies of Mysterious Illness in Thailand Zoo

Investigations are prompted when a giant panda that was on loan from China passes away in a zoo in Thailand due to an unexplained illness.

After fainting unexpectedly the day before, giant panda Lin Hui, the 21-year-old center of attention at the Chiang Mai Zoo in Thailand, passed away on Wednesday morning.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry announced on Wednesday that China would send a team of experts to Thailand to conduct a joint investigation into the circumstances surrounding the animal's demise with Thai experts.

Mysterious Illness

According to the Bangkok Post, the zoo reported that Lin Hui first displayed unusual symptoms on Tuesday and received a close examination.

Lin Hui was captured on camera Tuesday at the zoo, lying comatose on the ground with bloodstains on her neck and nose.

The tourist stated in the video that the panda also appeared a little queasy.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said that although specialists from the China Conservation and Research Center for Giant Panda quickly traveled to the zoo to oversee medical rescue efforts for the panda after learning of her fainting, they were regrettably unable to save her life.

Lin Hui, The Giant Panda from China

In China, Lin Hui was born on September 28, 2001. On October 12, 2003, she was appointed a goodwill ambassador between the two nations and dispatched to the Chiang Mai Zoo.

She was supposed to visit China again this year.

She has brought much joy to the Thai people over the years while being lovingly cared for by Chinese and Thai professionals, and Wang noted that she has actively promoted China-Thailand cooperation in giant panda conservation and intercultural exchange.

According to The Bangkok Post, Lin Hui's wonderful personality made her an instant star attraction.

The two giant pandas from China, Lin Hui and Chuang Chuang have drawn more than 7.4 million visitors to the zoo since October 2003, according to the zoo director.

Lin Ping was born in 2009 as a result of artificial insemination to Lin Hui and Chuang Chuang.

Lin Ping was sent to China in 2013 for a one-year visit with the intention of helping her find a partner, but she has since stayed, Global Times reported.

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Giant Panda Species

According to FOX News, in the wild, a giant panda has a life expectancy of only about 15 years, but in captivity, they have reached ages of up to 38.

The giant panda species was saved from extinction through decades of conservation programs in the wild and research in captivity.

As a result, both in the wild and in captivity, there are now more than 1,800 of these animals.

In 2019, Chuang Chuang, a male panda, passed away at the Chiang Mai Zoo at the age of 19 from heart failure.

Some Thai internet users hypothesized that Lin Hui's death was caused in part by the recent spike in air pollution in northern Thailand, which has reached levels deemed hazardous to human health.

However, the zoo staff claimed that was highly improbable given that Lin Hui lived in an enclosed space in a section of the zoo that was thought to have "the cleanest air," FOX News reported.