One of the oldest giant pandas in the world has died aged 28 from a cardiac arrest, her zoo in Japan has announced.

Female Tan Tan, who had suffered from age-related cardiac disease, died at Oji Zoo, Kobe, announced keepers on 1st April.

Zoo care staff had found her suffering a cardiac arrest in her enclosure on 31st March and although vets managed to resuscitate her, Tan Tan died two hours later, reports local media.

Tan Tan, like all giant pandas, had been on loan from China and was due to be returned to Beijing.

However, the COVID pandemic and her failing health led to Chinese officials saying she could stay in Japan indefinitely to receive expert medical care.

Tan Tan, who would have been around 95 in human years, originally came to Oji Zoo from China in 2000 as part of a breeding programme.

Tan Tan had not appeared in public due to her failing health since spring 2022 and the zoo said her age meant she was less active and slept longer in the past six months.

Although she was the oldest living giant panda in Japan, the world’s oldest is Shaun Shaun at Chapultepec Zoo in Mexico City, at 31 years old.

The world’s oldest ever was Jui Jui in Ocean Park zoo in Hong Kong who died aged 38 in 2016.

On average, giant pandas live to around 18 to 20 years in the wild and 30 in captivity.