DHAKA: A giant panda believed to have been the oldest ever kept in captivity has died at the age of 38, officials say.

The death of Jia Jia, whose age in human terms was more than 100 years, was announced by the Hong Kong theme park where she lived.

Her condition had worsened rapidly in recent weeks and she had lost her appetite, according to local reports.

She was put down by vets at Ocean Park, where she had lived since 1999.

In a statement obtained by BBC Chinese, a Hong Kong government spokesman thanked the park for providing Jia Jia with care and support and added that it was “saddened” by the news.

The park in Hong Kong held a high-profile celebration for Jia Jia's 37th birthday at her enclosure in July 2015.

Born in 1978 in the wild in Sichuan, China, Jia Jia was given to Hong Kong in 1999 to mark the semi-autonomous city's handover by Britain two years earlier.

Pandas normally live to around 20 years of age in the wild, and 25 in captivity.

BDST: 2218 HRS, OCT 16, 2016
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