Beloved panda gifted by China to Taiwan dies

TAIPEI—A panda that China gifted to Taiwan 14 years ago as a symbol of what were then warmer ties died on Saturday after suffering seizures, Taipei Zoo said. Tuan Tuan was given by Beijing to Taipei in 2008 along with his breeding mate Yuan Yuan. Vets first noticed Tuan Tuan, 18, was ill in August, when he began suffering seizures and appeared increasingly unsteady and lethargic. Medical scans showed he had a brain lesion and he was placed on antiseizure medication. The panda was put under deep anesthesia to take CT scans earlier Saturday, and the team decided to “let Tuan Tuan continue to sleep” after the results indicated his condition was “irreversible,” and that he could no longer “live a quality life,” zoo officials said. “Our medical team has confirmed that Tuan Tuan’s heart stopped beating at 13:48,” the zoo said.