Lin Hui, a female panda beloved by Thais, died today at the Chiang Mai Zoo. She was 21.
The zoo announced Lin Hui’s death this afternoon at a 30-minute news conference streamed online. Officials said they did not yet know the cause of her death, but she had fallen ill yesterday.
Lin Hui looked unwell and had a bloody nose in videos posted yesterday.
Lin Hui was born Sept. 28, 2001. She came to Thailand as a gift from China in October 2003 with her partner Chuang Chuang, who died in 2019 after suddenly collapsing while munching on bamboo. When Lin Hui turned 21 this past September, zoo veterinarian Wutichai Muangman said she was in good health.
Lin Hui was long a zoo favorite and for years starred on the Panda Channel, a popular channel that broadcast their every move around the clock that was watched by more than 7 million people worldwide.
Pandas are known for their low sex drive, so it was a delight when, with Chuang Chuang’s help, Lin Hui gave birth to a baby panda named Lin Bing in May 2009. Lin Bing was the first giant panda born in Thailand and was returned to China when she was 2.
In 2015, panda superfans voted the mom-daughter team as some of their favorite panda bears.
Lin Hui looked active in a December 2022 video.
Lin Hui’s panda baby Lin Bing in 2014 after her return to China..
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