Jia Jia set to be oldest panda ever in captivity

The oldest giant panda in captivity is set to challenge the world record for the species’ longevity. Hong Kong’s giant panda, Jia Jia, will be 37 this summer and her age is said to be the equivalent of a human centenarian.

Jia Jia, whose name means ‘good’, lives at the Ocean Park theme park. She will match the Guinness World Records’ oldest panda survivor in captivity, Du Du, who died in 1999, aged 37.

“It is rare for pandas to live to this age,” said Grant Abel, the park’s director of animal care. “It’s probably equivalent to someone, a human person, who would be over a hundred years of age.”

Jia Jia’s caregivers are considering sending an application to Guinness World Records, after her birthday, which is observed in summer, though the day is not known, as she was captured in the wild.

Born in China in 1978, Jia Jia was gifted to Hong Kong in 1999 to mark the second anniversary of the city’s handover from former colonial ruler, Britain.

She weighs 80kg and is in remarkably good health, even though her vision is severely impaired and her hearing has deteriorated, says Paolo Martelli, the park’s chief veterinarian.

Jia Jia takes medicines for high blood pressure and arthritis.