World's Oldest Panda Dies

By Paul Ciampanelli May 17th 2011

Sad news for animal lovers today as Ming Ming, the world's oldest giant panda, has died at the age of 34. Ming Ming died on May 7, but the Chinese state media reported the news only just today, according to Agence France. The cause of death was kidney failure due to old age.

Ming Ming died at the Xiangjiang Wild Animal World, where she had been living since 1998. Before that, she traveled to zoos all over the world, including London and Ireland, according to the New York Daily News.

While the death of any one of these highly endangered animals is tragic, there is some comfort in knowing that Ming Ming's 34 years far outpaced those of most giant pandas, who to live for about 15 years in the wild, 22 in captivity.