Merit-making rites mark 7th day of Chiang Mai Zoo’s beloved giant panda
Chiang Mai Zoo and China Consulate General in the northern city said their final goodbye to Thailand’s last giant panda on Wednesday with a merit-making ceremony to mark the seventh day after Lin Hui’s death.
Consul General Wu Zhiwu, Chiang Mai governor Weerapong Ritrod, and zoo director Wuthichai Muangman attended the ceremony.
Some 20 monks presided over the merit-making rites for Lin Hui, who died at the zoo on April 19 at the age of 21. The lifespan of giant pandas is estimated at 15-20 years in the wild and up to 30 years in human care.
Wu said Chinese officials were satisfied with the level of care provided to Lin Hui by Chiang Mai Zoo. Thai and Chinese experts were now conducting autopsy on the panda to seek the cause of death, he added.
"With scientific evidence, we could have information for society [on Lin Hui's death] soon," he said.
He added that China will discuss the continuation of panda preservation research in Thailand after determining Lin Hui’s cause of death.
Lin Hui was born in September 2001 at the Giant Panda Research and Conservation Centre in Sichuan province. She was loaned to Chiang Mai Zoo with her future partner Xuang in October 2003 as a gesture of goodwill between the two countries.
The loan deal, reportedly worth at least US$1 million per year, included a clause that any cubs born to the pair be returned to China.
Lin Bing was born at the zoo in May 2009, becoming the first-ever giant panda born in Thailand and one of the few giant pandas born in captivity outside of China. The cub was returned to China when she was two years old.
Xuang died at the zoo in September 2019, leaving Lin Hui as the only giant panda remaining in Thailand.
The Panda House was reopened on April 22 with life-sized cut-outs of Lin Hui in different poses at her favourite spots in the room.
Photographs featuring Lin Hui were also displayed so where her fans cold leave condolence messages. Mourners can also leave flowers at Panda House.
