Tuan Tuan, a panda given by communist China to democratic Taiwan more than a decade ago as a symbol of improving ties, died Saturday at the Taipei Zoo at the age of 18, officials said.
Veterinarians at the Taiwan facility said Tuan Tuan had been ailing since August and suffered a series of seizures over the weekend.
The panda was anesthetized, and vets decided not to try to revive him after concluding his condition, which included a series of brain lesions, was “irreversible.”
The panda’s death seemed more than symbolic, coming at a time of almost unprecedented pressure from Beijing on Taiwan over what Chinese officials say is a growing push by Taiwan for independence.