Japan pays US$500,000 for panda's death </h3>
<div align="center"><div class="easy_img_caption" style="margin: 10px 0pt; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); width: 350px;"><img src="http://www.dailychilli.com/images/stories/2010/10/01_03/panda.jpg" alt="Long Long" title="Long Long" border="0"><p style="padding: 4px 8px; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-size: 8pt; font-weight: normal; font-style: italic; text-align: left; line-height: normal;">Long Long</p></div></div>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Japan is paying compensation of US$500,000 (RM1.54mil) to China for the death of giant panda Long Long.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The 14-year-old panda was loaned to Japan's Kobe Oji Zoo.<br><br>On Sept 9, Long Long - who was named Xing Xing in Japan – died of asphyxiation.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Investigations showed Long Long had inhaled vomit into its lungs when it regained consciousness from an operation carried out to collect its sperm.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Japanese media reported that the administrtors of Kobe Oji Zoo have agreed to pay compensation of US$500,000 to China, as listed in the agreement.<br><br>On July 16, 2000, two pandas named Jingzhu and Shuang Shuang arrived at Kobe Oji Zoo under a 10-year panda agreement between China and Japan.<br><br>Long Long arrived at the zoo two years later in exchange for the return of Jingzhu, who had breeding difficulty, to China.<br><br>He and Shuang Shuang were supposed to be returned to China in July but the agreement was extended for another five years.<br><br>Shuang Shuang is named Dan Dan in Japan.<br><br><em>Source: Agencies</em></p>
