Pan Pan, world's oldest panda, dies

The giant panda dubbed "hero father" for siring about 25 percent of the world's captive bred panda population has died. Chinese media outlets report that Pan Pan died on Wednesday at the age of 31, which is equivalent to 100 human years.

Pan Pan was living in a "nursing home" for elderly pandas in Southwest China's Sichuan province when he died, reported ChinaDaily.com.

Perhaps most astonishing is the length of time Pan Pan lived. The average life expectancy for a panda in captivity is 20 years.

Giant pandas are one of the world's most endangered species.

A necropsy will be carried out to determine cause of death.