Chiang Mai’s giant panda, Chuang Chuang, dies at 19

By THE NATION

 

Chuang Chuang enjoys his feasts during a happy birthday treat at Chiang Mai zoo last year.

 

Resident giant panda Chuang Chuang died aged 19, Chiang Mai zoo’s director said on Monday (September 16).

 

Chiang Mai Zoo’s resident giant panda Chuang Chuang died aged 19, the zoo’s director said on Monday (September 16).

 

Pandas normally live for around 20 years.

 

  

Chuang Chuang was also known as Thewan in Thai and as Kham Ai in the indigenous Lanna language.

 

Keepers at the zoo said Chuang Chuang walked brifely after eating a meal in the evening, before he collapsed and was given initial care by the staff, but he never resuscitated.

 

  

Chiang Mai Zoo is expected to issue a statement elaborating on Chuang Chuang’s death on Tuesday (September 17).

 

The late giant panda was born in captivity in China on August 6, 2000, before he was lent to Chiang Mai Zoo as a symbol of bilateral friendship in October 2003.

 

Giant panda Lin Hui was inseminated with Chuang Chuang’s seed, resulting in the birth of Lin Ping  – the world’s first panda to be born in a tropical climate – on May 27, 2009.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30376285

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2019-09-17

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Pandas, tigers, dugongs, turtles and even humans on the road...life has a strange value here!

If I came back as any animal in my next life I sure would not like to be in Thailand.your either going to have a short life and be cooked up or a long depressing,mistreated,abused life.

I guess the zoo just stops paying the rent on the panda and orders a new one. Apparently all pandas are owned by China, something like the South China Sea haha ????

As horrible as most zoos are in Thailand, the panda enclosure at Chiang Mai is an exception.   Well looked after, happy creatures with sufficient space.

 

RIP Chuang Chuang.  You made countless people smile.

3 hours ago, happy chappie said:

If I came back as any animal in my next life I sure would not like to be in Thailand.your either going to have a short life and be cooked up or a long depressing,mistreated,abused life.

Same in all countries around the world.  Are you vegan?  Did you think about the conditions the chickens and pigs are kept in in the factory farms in America or Europe?  

 

The panda lived till 19 years old.....  their natural lifespan in average 20 years.  So it lived its normal lifespan and did not die young of neglect or mistreatment.  

1 minute ago, Mick501 said:

As horrible as most zoos are in Thailand, the panda enclosure at Chiang Mai is an exception.   Well looked after, happy creatures with sufficient space.

 

RIP Chuang Chuang.  You made countless people smile.

Agree.  Just a shame about many of the other animals there are not given the same care.  

5 minutes ago, Mick501 said:

As horrible as most zoos are in Thailand, the panda enclosure at Chiang Mai is an exception.   Well looked after, happy creatures with sufficient space.

 

RIP Chuang Chuang.  You made countless people smile.

I haven't been to the zoo for years, but you had to pay extra to see him.  That's why it looked so nice.

I googled life span for a panda. Seems they live to 20 in natural habitat (the wild) and closer to 35 in captivity. Novel use of statistics by the author I'd have to wonder. 

5 hours ago, jak2002003 said:

Same in all countries around the world.  Are you vegan?  Did you think about the conditions the chickens and pigs are kept in in the factory farms in America or Europe?  

 

The panda lived till 19 years old.....  their natural lifespan in average 20 years.  So it lived its normal lifespan and did not die young of neglect or mistreatment.  

Agree.  Just a shame about many of the other animals there are not given the same care.  

Sorry but they have a 20 yr shelf life in the wild and up to 30yrs in captivity and have been known to live up to 38yrs old behind bars.

comparing a chicken that has been bred for eating to a panda that's stuck in a cage alone for life for people's enjoyment is totally different.the same really as a killer whale in a pool for entertainment and a sardine.

no im not a vegan,I'm a carnivore but I don't agree with animals suffering for nothing and especially rare ones.

5 hours ago, Mick501 said:

As horrible as most zoos are in Thailand, the panda enclosure at Chiang Mai is an exception.   Well looked after, happy creatures with sufficient space.

 

RIP Chuang Chuang.  You made countless people smile.

Probably because China's kept its eye on how the thais treated it.

 

Possible cause of death evident in the photo: inappropriate birthday treats at last year's party.

I note the Panda's death seems to be considered somewhat premature by the Chinese.  The news and comments are trending on some Chinese social network platforms.  Chang Mai and Thailand in general do not come off well.  Chinese social commentary is running strongly against them.

 

 

I do hope the autopsy shows a definite cause of death.  An indeterminate cause that does not exonerate the zoo may create more problems for Thai Tourism.  The chinese consider the panda to be a "national treasure"  Chaung Chaung's death may cause as much of a reaction at home as the Phoenix disaster.

 

I'm not saying there is any equivalence.  I don;t believe there is.  It is just that this seems to be getting pumped up on social media.

On 9/17/2019 at 5:26 PM, happy chappie said:

 

comparing a chicken that has been bred for eating to a panda that's stuck in a cage alone for life for people's enjoyment is totally different.the same really as a killer whale in a pool for entertainment and a sardine.

no im not a vegan,I'm a carnivore but I don't agree with animals suffering for nothing and especially rare ones.

So if I breed pandas for eating, then, according to you logic, it is perfectly acceptable to keep them in cruel conditions?

 

What is the difference?  They are both animals and both have feelings.  Actually, a chicken seems a lot more intelligent than a panda.  

 

There is no evidence the panda at Chiang Mai zoo was suffering or was mistreated.  Where are your facts about that?  Being a rare or common animals should not affect how they are treated in captivity.  Dogs are very common, as are cats... would you not mind them suffering for nothing?

 

Take some time to think about what you are say.  If you are truly so upset about the panda passing away from old age and so concerned about how animals are treated you should do something about it, be a vegetarian or vegan, don't support any zoos or wildlife parks, don't keep pets.  

 

From what you are saying you just seem to want to bash Thailand and Chiang Mai zoo, with no evidence the animal was even mistreated or suffering in the first place.  

On 9/19/2019 at 6:59 AM, ourdon said:

The chinese consider the panda to be a "national treasure" 

Then why did they rent out their "national treasure" to Thailand?

4 hours ago, jak2002003 said:

So if I breed pandas for eating, then, according to you logic, it is perfectly acceptable to keep them in cruel conditions?

 

What is the difference?  They are both animals and both have feelings.  Actually, a chicken seems a lot more intelligent than a panda.  

 

There is no evidence the panda at Chiang Mai zoo was suffering or was mistreated.  Where are your facts about that?  Being a rare or common animals should not affect how they are treated in captivity.  Dogs are very common, as are cats... would you not mind them suffering for nothing?

 

Take some time to think about what you are say.  If you are truly so upset about the panda passing away from old age and so concerned about how animals are treated you should do something about it, be a vegetarian or vegan, don't support any zoos or wildlife parks, don't keep pets.  

 

From what you are saying you just seem to want to bash Thailand and Chiang Mai zoo, with no evidence the animal was even mistreated or suffering in the first place.  

Yes well the Chinese seem to think that something ain't right,hence they have sent over experts to do their own examination.oh and a few million Chinese on weibo saying don't give Thailand anymore pandas..eating a rare panda is totally different to eating a chicken in my eyes.if they were as common as a chicken I might fancy a bear steak with all the trimmings.as for bashing Thailand and it's zoos,they have hardly got a good repution regarding animal welfare have they.

On 9/17/2019 at 1:09 AM, Mick501 said:

As horrible as most zoos are in Thailand, the panda enclosure at Chiang Mai is an exception.   Well looked after, happy creatures with sufficient space.

 

RIP Chuang Chuang.  You made countless people smile.

Yes, it is run by the Chinese.

Look at all the cr@p they give him on his birthday. Looks like he was given free reign of a Swensons for a Bingsu. Thought they just ate Bamboo. 

On 9/20/2019 at 4:24 AM, Samuel Smith said:

Then why did they rent out their "national treasure" to Thailand?

It is part of the "Panda diplomacy" practised by China since the late 50's.  The most notable success of this policy was the gifting of two Pandas to the United States in 1972.  This was in response to Richard Nixon's state visit to China.

 

Americans went wild over the pandas  with thousands waiting in line to see them.  The Americans gifted China with two muskox in response.  The pandas were credited with greatly lowering the tensions between the countries and they greatly assisted in the normalizing of relations.

 

Now our wars are mostly economic and fought on the factory floors, not on the battlefields or with nuclear tipped missiles.  I prefer the option of economic diplomacy rather than actively trying to kick them in the nuts.

 

Any more news on what happened to the Poor Old Fellow ? I googled it but get no new news after this one on the 17th. ?

Why is it a shock that a panda died at 19 years old, their life expectancy is 20 years old? 

4 minutes ago, pieeyed said:

Why is it a shock that a panda died at 19 years old, their life expectancy is 20 years old? 

25-30 in captivity.