• D.C.
  • BXL
  • Lagos
  • Riyadh
  • Beijing
  • SG
  • D.C.
  • BXL
  • Lagos
Semafor Logo
  • Riyadh
  • Beijing
  • SG


Tuan Tuan, a giant panda gifted by China to Taiwan, has died

Jenna Moon is a Breaking News reporter. You can reach her at . , our daily newsletter that distills what’s happening in the world into a concise, insightful morning read.

Updated Nov 21, 2022, 8:05am EST
East Asia
PostEmailWhatsapp
Title icon

The News

Tuan Tuan, a giant panda gifted to Taiwan by China in 2008, has died. He was 18.

Vet experts Wu Honglin and Wei Ming from the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda in Wolong, check on giant panda Tuan Tuan who has fallen ill, at the Taipei Zoo, Taiwan in this handout photo released on November 2, 2022.
Taipei Zoo/Handout via REUTERS
Title icon

Know More

The male panda was suffering seizures before zoo veterinarians at Taipei Zoo made the decision to administer anesthesia. Staff at the zoo said his psychological indicators were irreversible, and made the decision to let the panda die in his sleep. Tuan Tuan has reportedly experienced seizures since August.

AD

Tuan Tuan, was gifted to Taiwan along with his mate, Yuan Yuan. Together, their names read as “Tuan Yuan,” meaning “reunion.” The pair had two cubs, named Yuan Zai and Yuan Bao.

Memorial preparations are underway.

Title icon

Quoteworthy

Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of China’s State Council, told the Chinese state tabloid Global Times that they “appreciate expert teams on both sides of the Straits and Taipei Zoo’s efforts to rescue the panda and hope the two sides can continue exchanges and cooperation on panda preservation.”

AD
Title icon

Notable

China’s panda diplomacy is well documented, and the arrival of Sihai and Jingjing in Qatar to mark the start of the World Cup represents the first time China has gifted the animal to a Middle Eastern nation. In Sixth Tone, historian Liu Xiaochen documents the pandas gifted to countries around the world — and the haphazard way that practice began.

AD