Elderly male giant panda Dai Li passes away

The elderly male giant panda named Dai Li died on Aug 12 at the age of 24, the China Conservation and Research Center for Giant Pandas in Southwest China's Sichuan province announced on Monday.

Clinical symptoms and anatomical analysis suggest that the panda's death was due to old age accompanied by heart disease and multiple organ failure, according to a notice posted on the center's official WeChat account.

Dai Li was rescued from the wild in Baoxing county, Sichuan province, in 2001. It is estimated that he was born in 1999.

His left hind leg was severely injured and infected when he was rescued. Doctors amputated the leg to save his life. After recovering, Dai Li lived at the center's Ya'an base for a while and was later transferred to the Dujiangyan base.

Dai Li's physical condition gradually deteriorated as he entered his senior years. Starting from July 13, he showed a decreased appetite and almost stopped eating, the center said.

According to the notice, the veterinarians conducted a comprehensive diagnosis and treatment for him, while the keepers provided him with nutritional supplements by preparing liquid feed.

The veterinarians said Dai Li was a caring panda who showed great concern for his fellow pandas. Whenever there was any movement or noise from the young pandas in the adjacent enclosure, he would approach to take a closer look.