Two Giant Pandas Die in Hangzhou Zoos, Triggering State Probe

Two giant pandas housed in separate zoos in this eastern Chinese city died on consecutive days earlier this month, prompting regulators to launch an investigation and potential dietary review after identifying intestinal failure as the cause.

On Feb. 28, three state agencies, including the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda, announced that Banban and Xiangguo died on Feb. 9 and Feb. 10, respectively. Autopsies revealed the animals succumbed to multi-organ failure triggered by intestinal obstruction and mesenteric torsion — a twisting of the intestines.