Society

Experts head to Japan to probe panda death

By Cheng Anqi (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2010-09-15 12:35

Three experts are leaving for Japan Wednesday to launch an investigation into the death of a giant panda at a Kobe city zoo, Beijing News reported.

Related readings:  Experts head to Japan to probe panda death  Japanese-born panda back to China's breeding base  Twin pandas born in Japan theme park

China's State Forestry Administration said last weekend that it had requested its Japanese counterparts to seal up the corpse of the 14-year-old male panda sent to Oji Zoo in 2002 for reproduction. He died on Sept 9.

Under the Sino-Japanese panda breeding agreement signed in 1999, "death of panda amounts to $500,000 in compensation," said Zang Chunlin, secretary-general of the China Wildlife Conservation Association. "But it is still too early to comment on the death. It will depend on the confirmation of responsibility."