Heartbreaking News As Beloved Panda LeLe Has Passed Away After Collapsing On The Panda Live Cam At The Memphis Zoo

It is with great sadness that WAN reports that LeLe, the giant panda at the Memphis Zoo, has passed away. WAN was alerted to the heartbreaking news by Panda Voices, an organization that has been advocating for LeLe and Yaya to be returned back to their homeland of China.

What makes LeLe’s death even more devastating is that the Memphis Zoo and the Chinese Association of Zoological Gardens (CAZG) recently announced that YaYa, 22, and LeLe, 24, who have been suffering at the zoo since 2003, would finally return to China in the spring of this year, following a two-year campaign by In Defense of Animals and Panda Voices.

In Defense of Animals and Panda Voices had been calling on the Memphis Zoo to immediately improve the quality of bamboo and panda care for LeLe and YaYa before they travel back to China. The organizations also wanted the zoo to commit to stop exhibiting giant pandas.

“We call on the Memphis Zoo to commit to shutting its panda exhibit for good after YaYa and LeLe depart. A new contract with China would condemn another pair of pandas to suffer for the next 10-20 years,” said Brittany Michelson, captive animals campaigner for IDA.

In the past, In Defense of Animals and Panda Voices made repeated attempts to meet with Memphis Zoo President, Matt Thompson, to address concerns about the pandas, but they were ignored. The organizations then worked to expose the pandas’ suffering and alerted CAZG to the poor quality of food and care provided to YaYa and LeLe.

The Chinese zoo organization released a statement on March 10, 2022, titled “Statement on husbandry and health condition of the giant pandas LeLe and YaYa at the Memphis Zoo.” CAZG admitted that both pandas were underweight and suggests that the Memphis Zoo improve their diets by increasing food variety and protein sources to improve nutrition and help them gain weight. However, there has been no evidence that the Memphis Zoo has implemented CAZG’s suggestions to improve the pandas’ diets.

Following the passing of LeLe, Yaya cannot wait any longer for the Memphis Zoo to improve her diet per CAZG’s recommendations. This is even more important since the panda will return to China in the following months and needs to be healthy, strong, and fit to endure the long flight.