Panda gifted to Taiwan as symbol of friendship dies

Tuan Tuan, one of two giant pandas gifted to the island by China in 2008 as a symbol of unity and friendship, died Saturday afternoon while in an induced coma, officials at the Taipei Zoo said.

The 18-year-old male panda had grown increasingly frail and suffered a series of epileptic seizures last week, zoo officials said at a news conference, giving no immediate cause of death. “At 1:48 p.m., Tuan Tuan’s heart stopped beating and will no longer suffer,” Taipei Mayor Ko Wenje added in a social media post Saturday.

Tuan Tuan’s declining health had been a source of serious concern for the zoo’s veterinary team since August. The bear struggled to walk on its hind legs, officials observed.