Oldest ever giant panda celebrates with bamboo

“Despite her poor eye sight, Jia Jia can recognise the familiar voices of her carers, some of whom have been with her for as many as 15 years”.

One of the resident giant pandas in Hong Kong, Jia Jia, who is turning 37 years, is officially recognized as the oldest member of the species in captivity in the world, Blythe Ryan Fitzwilliam, adjudicator of Guinness World Records said at a ceremony at the Ocean Park here on Tuesday.

He offered her his congratulations, saying it was an “amazing longevity achievement”.

Born in 1978, female Jia Jia is now officially recognized as the “oldest panda ever in captivity” and the “oldest panda living in captivity” after reaching an age equivalent to 110 in human years.

She was born in mainland China and gifted to Hong Kong in 1999, on the second anniversary of the handover from Britain. Jia Jia takes regular medication for various conditions such as high blood pressure and arthritic pain … ‘She is sleeping more, so is doing everything less. “This gives her a strong sense of security”, she said.

The oldest giant panda ever in captivity tasted a vegetable ice cake and, of course, bamboo in celebration of her 37th birthday.

There are fewer than 2,000 pandas now left in the wild, according to the World Wildlife Fund, as their habitats have been ravaged by development.

Given their low birthrate, captive breeding programmes have become key to ensuring their survival.