Cherished symbol of democracy, Ling Ling the panda bear, has made his way to the zoo in the sky. In 1992, China gave him to Japan as a gesture of goodwill. Since that time, he has been held captive in Tokyo’s Ueno Zoo, serving as a gentle reminder of the diplomacy between the two nations. Left to mash plants for the next sixteen years, Ling Ling died on April 30, 2008. He was last seen clutching his chest, shouting “Lord, I’m comin’ home. I am COMIN’ home!!” He then tumbled backwards into a great big ball of black and white fur. Ling Ling was 22 years and 7 months. That’s seventy years to you humans out there.

Time further reports:

Ling Ling died overnight of heart failure and kidney malfunction. His portrait now sits inside his cage, next to bouquets and his favorite bamboo shoots. Some visitors wept; others prayed and wrote notes to his memory.

And some just poured out forties for their brother. This is quite the indictment. For vegetarianism. All Ling Ling ate for the past decade was plants and bamboo shoots. And then he dies of heart failure? Someone should’ve given him a nice steak.

This wouldn’t have happened if there was a woman panda there. If there was, all he’d hear would be “Oh, when you gonna get some work? I know you’re not gonna sit here and just eat. Damn panda, don’t pretend you don’t hear me. Even Koko is swimming around with people on his back, jumping through hoops. And he ain’t even got no arms or legs. You got paws! Paws motherfucka! Get to jugglin’. Grizzly bears ride around on unicycles, monkeys on their shoulders banging cymbals, and all you do is eat grass?!? Work panda, work!”

Then, she’d kick him out of that cage and Ling Ling would pretend to go to work. Only he’d go sit in the park with his lunch box like the salarymen in Japan and watch the kids play.

China’s Panda Diplomacy [Time]