The oldest male panda in the world died Wednesday, according to multiple reports.
The BBC reported 31-year-old Pan Pan died at the China Conservation and Research Center for Giant Panda in Sichuan, China. He had been diagnosed with cancer just months ago.
But it wasn't Pan Pan's age that stood out to panda-watchers, the bear's baby-making virility helped save his species, CNN reported. Pandas were taken off the endangered species list this year.
Pan Pan helped conceive the first ever cub to survive in captivity, CNN reported. The China Panda Protection and Research Center said he was in "full blossom" during the late 1990s. As he got older, he stopped breeding.
When it was all said and done, Pan Pan amassed a brood of more than 130 cubs. His descendants, BBC reported, equal about a quarter of the world's captive-bred panda population.
Pan Pan's age, however, isn't anything to scoff at. It equaled more than 100 human years, CNN said. Panda's, the BBC said, usually live about 20 years.
Earlier this year, the world's oldest panda, a 38-year-old female named Jia Jia, died, CNN reported. The 36-year-old Basi, a female, now is the oldest living panda.
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