Mei Mei, a female giant panda, passed away at the age of 36 late Tuesday afternoon in Guilin City in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. She was 108 in human years.

Before she died, Mei Mei, who was the world's oldest panda, was having difficulty eating and had been suffering from organ failure, according to sources with the Guilin City Zoo, where Mei Mei lived for 20 years.

Despite desperate efforts by veterinarians to save the beloved animal, Mei Mei died at around 5:37 PM on Tuesday.

Mei Mei used to live at the Wolong Nature Reserve in southwest China's Sichuan Province before she was transferred to Guilin in September 1985.

"She entertained many visitors from home and abroad, and remained the most popular animal in the zoo throughout her stay here," said zookeeper Chen Qian.

(Xinhua News Agency July 13, 2005)