Kobe, a 25-year-old panda named by the former president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Juan Antonio Samaranch, died on Feb. 2, China News reported.
Kobe was born in 1992, the same year the 25th Summer Olympic Games were held in Barcelona. Samaranch proudly named the panda after Cobi, the mascot of that year's Games. Kobe gave birth to nine panda cubs during her life, contributing significantly to the population at the breeding and research base in Chengdu.
Twenty-five "panda years" are roughly equal to 75 years for a human. As Kobe entered old age, her health began to deteriorate. Kobe became sick and lost consciousness on Jan. 31, and finally passed away on Feb. 2 despite unremitting efforts by the base's veterinary staff.