Huan Huan, one of three giant pandas at the Ueno Zoological Gardens, died of kidney failure Sept. 21, the zoo announced Sept. 22.
The 25-year-old female panda began losing her appetite in July, and in September, drastically decreased her food intake. Huan Huan never regained her appetite despite efforts to encourage her to eat, zoo officials said.
Results of a blood test conducted last week indicate she suffered from serious anemia and kidney trouble. No scientific study has determined the average life span of giant pandas, but Huan Huan was considered old at 25, a zoo employee said. The park said it will hold a memorial service for Huan Huan Sept. 23.
The panda was a gift from the Chinese government in January 1980. Between 1985 and 1988, Huan Huan bred three cubs through artificial insemination. One of the three cubs died accidentally soon after birth. One of the surviving cubs, a female, is kept at Ueno zoo and the other at a Beijing zoo. Ueno has one other giant panda.