Japan pays US$500,000 for panda's death

[Sauron]

Japan pays US$500,000 for panda's death

Long Long​

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Japan is paying compensation of US$500,000 to China for the death of giant panda Long Long. The 14-year-old panda was loaned to Japan's Kobe Oji Zoo.

On Sept 9, Long Long - who was named Xing Xing in Japan – died of asphyxiation.

Investigations showed Long Long had inhaled vomit into its lungs when it regained consciousness from an operation carried out to collect its sperm.

Japanese media reported that the administrtors of Kobe Oji Zoo have agreed to pay compensation of US$500,000 to China, as listed in the agreement.

On July 16, 2000, two pandas named Jingzhu and Shuang Shuang arrived at Kobe Oji Zoo under a 10-year panda agreement between China and Japan.

Long Long arrived at the zoo two years later in exchange for the return of Jingzhu, who had breeding difficulty, to China.

He and Shuang Shuang were supposed to be returned to China in July but the agreement was extended for another five years.

Shuang Shuang is named Dan Dan in Japan.

 

[Sauron]

Japan bids farewell to panda Xing Xing


Japan bids farewell to panda Xing Xing

A visitor praying for Xing Xing at the ceremony
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The Prince Zoo of Kobe City, Japan held a farewell ceremony for the accidental death of Xing Xing, a 14-year-old male giant panda on loan from China. The director of the zoo expressed gratitude to visitors who came in memoriam of panda Xing Xing (called Long Long in China) on Saturday.

A funerary picture of Xing Xing was placed in the indoor exhibition hall and long lines of visitors came to present marguerites. Xing Xing died of suffocation caused by gastric juices that entered its lungs as it was anaesthetised for artificial fertilisation last month.

Kobe City is expected to pay US$500,000 in compensation and would return Xing Xing's body to China Xing Xing was sent to Japan for the purpose of propagation in 2002. The Japanese public gave it the name "Xing Xing", meaning 'revival'. Source: The People's Daily