ASIA / PACIFIC
August 1, 2022
THE ASIAN REPORTER n Page 3
World’s oldest male giant panda dies at age 35 in Hong Kong
By Zen Soo
The Associated Press
ONG KONG — The oldest-ever
male giant panda in captivity has
died at age 35 at a Hong Kong
theme park after his health deteriorated.
An An lived most of his life at Ocean
Park after he and a female panda were
gifted to Hong Kong by China in 1999. The
female panda, Jia Jia, died in 2016 at age
38, making her the oldest-ever panda in
captivity.
Ocean Park mourned An An as a family
member who grew with the park and built
bonds with locals and tourists.
“An An has brought us fond memories
with numerous heart-warming moments.
His cleverness and playfulness will be
dearly missed,” Paulo Pong, chairman of
Ocean Park Corporation, said in a
statement.
An An had high blood pressure, a com-
mon condition among geriatric pandas.
H
During his past three weeks, An An had
been kept out of sight from visitors at the
park as his health worsened. He stopped
eating solid food and had become
significantly less active.
Hundreds left comments on an Ocean
Park post last month about An An’s
condition, wishing him a speedy recovery.
LONG LIFE. Visitors write notes to mourn the
death of Chinese giant panda An An at Ocean Park
theme park in Hong Kong, on July 21, 2022. The old-
est-ever male giant panda in captivity died last month
at age 35 after his health deteriorated. (AP Photo/Kin
Cheung)
He was euthanized to prevent further
suffering after veterinarians from Ocean
Park and government authorities con-
sulted the China Conservation and
Research Center for the Giant Panda,
Ocean Park said.
“An An lived a full life that ended at the
respectable age of 35 — the equivalent of
105 years in human age,” the statement
read.
Hong Kong was given another panda
pair — Ying Ying, a female, and a male, Le
Le — in 2007 to celebrate the 10th anni-
versary of the city’s return to China.
China commonly engages in “panda
diplomacy,” where the mammals exclu-
sively found in China are leased to other
countries as a sign of goodwill.
Falling screen hits 2 dancers on stage at Hong Kong concert
By Zen Soo
The Associated Press
ONG KONG — A falling video
screen struck and injured two
dancers on a concert stage as
Cantopop band Mirror was performing
last month in Hong Kong.
Video clips circulated on social media
showed Mirror members Anson Lo and
Edan Lui performing with a dozen dancers
when one of several suspended LED
screens crashed down onto the stage.
H
The falling screen appeared to directly
hit one dancer on the head and body before
toppling onto another performer as the
audience screamed in horror. The rest of
the performers on stage rushed to help
those hit by the screen, the videos showed.
Police said the two male dancers were
conscious when they were sent to Queen
Elizabeth Hospital. Local media reported
that the hospital said one of the dancers
was in serious condition while the other
was stable.
Police said three audience members
were also taken to the hospital, one who
felt unwell and two others in a state of
shock, but they required no medical
treatment.
The concert was halted after the
incident, which occurred during Mirror’s
fourth of 12 scheduled concerts at Hong
Kong Coliseum.
At another concert, band member
Frankie Lui appeared to lose his footing
and fall off the edge of the stage while
giving a speech, according to clips on social
media.
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An online petition about safety issues of
Mirror concerts was launched the same
night and has garnered thousands of
signatures. The petition urged organizers
to ensure safety for Mirror and its dancers
and refrain from using unnecessary stage
mechanisms or raised platforms.
Viu, the company that created and
manages Mirror, did not respond to an
e-mailed request for comment.
The 12-member band has skyrocketed in
popularity in Hong Kong and has been
credited with the revival of Cantopop.