Prague: A Formosan pangolin gifted to Prague Zoo in 2022 as part of a breeding and conservation program has died, Taipei Zoo said Monday. Taipei Zoo reported that the underlying cause of the 7-year-old female pangolin’s death remains unclear. The animal, named Run Hou Tang, had been receiving assisted feeding and medical treatment since September.

According to Focus Taiwan, the pangolin’s condition showed signs of improvement in early October but deteriorated later that month. Subsequent tests revealed liver damage, and despite ongoing treatment, Run Hou Tang died on Sunday. Born at Taipei Zoo on September 2, 2017, Run Hou Tang was sent to Zoo Praha in April 2022 along with a male pangolin named Guo Bao as part of a conservation cooperation agreement between the two institutions.

The breeding program successfully produced offspring in February 2023 and July 2024. Taipei and Prague established a sister-city relationship in January 2020, followed by a memorandum of understanding between their zoos to jointly conserve the critically endangered Formosan pangolin. Run Hou Tang and Guo Bao were integral to this initiative aimed at building a satellite population overseas to support species survival and raise awareness in Europe about pangolins and the threats they face from large-scale poaching and illegal trade, according to Taipei Zoo.