Long Long Dead!

It appears that 'Kou Kou' or 'Long Long' the 14 year old Panda died in Japanese custody.  Officially named Xing Xing, the adult Panda was apparently put under anaesthesia in order to surgically extract sperm for artificial insemination, as the normal mating season is between March and May.  Singapore Straits Times story here.  Supposedly, male pandas lose interest in mating once in captivity.  I can imagine how they feel.  There is so much material here, I don't know where to begin, but it's hard to make such stuff up.