Ocean Park unveils study on late male panda An An

A study on one of the Hong Kong's beloved giant pandas could shed light on life-long care for the animals, according to researchers who had monitored the late An An. Ocean Park on Friday said it had conducted a study on the world's oldest zoo-housed male giant panda, covering the final two years of his life and tracking his activities, movement patterns, and habitat preferences. Results showed that An An, who lived 35 years or roughly 105 human years, conserved energy by favouring gentle slopes when going uphill and steeper paths when descending. Researchers said this behaviour – which led the animal to cover greater distances uphill than downhill – mirrored that of wild giant pandas, researchers said. The park's senior research fellow, Eszter Matrai, said the study will help improve future enclosure designs for ageing pandas and can also be considered for other animals at zoos. “This provides an objective measure of lifestyle changes based on life stages in terms of age and illnesses. The results can be used for habitat optimisation and sustainable improvement for life-long care,” Matrai said. She said the study contributed to the limited literature on the behaviour of geriatric animals, because previous studies on ageing pandas had primarily focused on veterinary medicine. “These findings go beyond design enhancements, guiding tailored care plans and enrichment activities based on age-related behavioural changes and seasonal variations," Matrai said. An An was one of two giant pandas gifted by the central government to Hong Kong in 1999. He died in July 2022.