World’s oldest panda in captivity hits 37th birthday

Basi, the world’s oldest panda living in captivity, celebrated her 37 th birthday on Wednesday in Fuzhou, capital of Fujian province.

Thirty-seven panda years is thought to be equal to about 140 human years. The typical life span of a giant panda is 18 to 20 years in the wild and 30 years in captivity, according to Guinness World Records.

The oldest panda ever in captivity was Jia Jia, who died in Hong Kong aged 38 last year.

Since 2000, Basi has been suffering from illnesses including cataracts, pancreatitis and epilepsy, according to Chen Yucun, head of the CrossStraits Fuzhou Panda Research and Exchange Center.

“Currently, Basi’s health situation is stable,” Chen said. “Compared with 10 years ago, her heart rate has decreased from 110 beats per minute to 60 beats per minute. She sleeps for about 21 hours each day and spends less than an hour exercising.

“But she has a good appetite and likes to eat bamboo leaves and rice paste. Her weight is stable at around 100 kilograms.”

Chen said that the biggest risk to Basi’s health is vascular sclerosis and hypertension.

“We’re worried about a sudden burst of blood vessels. We have four staff members and six surveillance cameras watching her 24 hours a day.”

Basi was born in 1980 in Baoxing, Sichuan province.

Li Zhong, deputy director of the Giant Panda Protection and Research Center of China, said Basi was rescued by a local resident after she fell into an icy river in 1984.

We’re worried about a sudden burst of blood vessels.” Chen Yucun, head of the Cross-Straits Fuzhou Panda Research and Exchange Center

“After being treated by experts, Basi was moved to Fuzhou, where she has remained,” Li said. “The river she was rescued from is called Basi. Plus, Basi sounds like ‘good’ or ‘well’ in the local dialect. So that became her name.”

Basi was nicknamed China’s “friendly envoy” in 1987 when she stayed at San Diego Zoo in the United States for six months, attracting about 2.5 million visitors during her stay and wowing crowds with her acrobatic performances.

Basi became even more popular in 1990 when she was chosen as the model for Pan Pan, China’s mascot for the Beijing Asian Games.

Zhang Zhiyi, head of the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Insititute of Automation, said his team is working with the Fuzhou panda center to collect information and create a “digital Basi” using artificial intelligence.

“Information includes Basi’s appearance, character, living habits, IQ and walking style,” he said. “In this way, Basi will live forever.”

Contact the writers at humeidong@ chinadaily.com.cn