MEMPHIS (Tennessee, US), Feb 4 (NNN-XINHUA) — The Memphis Zoo in Memphis, US state of Tennessee, said on Friday that giant panda Le Le had died.
“Le Le was adored by his keepers, all of the staff at the Memphis Zoo as well as the City of Memphis,” the zoo said in a statement.
Le Le, came to the Memphis Zoo with a female giant panda, Ya Ya, born on July 18, 1998 at the Shanghai Zoo, was 25 years old at the time of his death.
Last December, the zoo said that the iconic duo would “make the journey back to China within the next few months” as the current giant panda loan agreement with the Chinese Association of Zoological Gardens was coming to an end.
Le Le died in his sleep on Wednesday, according to a spokesperson for the zoo. His cause of death has yet to be determined, pending a medical examination.
“Over the last 20 years Le Le has delighted millions of guests, served as an exemplary ambassador for his species and remains a shining symbol of conservation partnership with the People’s Republic of China,” the zoo said on Friday.
A wreath of white roses, along with a black and white photo of Le Le, bamboo leaves and one of his blankets, were placed in his play room in a photo posted to the zoo’s Twitter account.
The zoo said it will be open Saturday for visitors to leave a note or flowers for Le Le.
Le Le’s surviving partner Ya Ya is still at the zoo and scheduled to be returned to China.
The Memphis Zoo is one of three zoos in the United States to have pandas, courtesy of the Chinese Association of Zoological Gardens. The other two are the Atlanta Zoo in Atlanta, Georgia and the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington, D.C. — NNN-XINHUA
