A Red Panda (Lesser Panda) that had gained worldwide fame last month for its kiss-like licking of its mate’s mouth has died:

KAWASAKI — Yuyu, a 12 1/2-year-old lesser panda famous for tongue kissing a male partner at Yumemigasaki Zoo here has died of a bout of pneumonia she couldn’t combat because of advanced age, zoo officials said.

Yuyu, whose male partner has the same name though uses different characters to write it, passed away earlier this week at what would have been the equivalent to at least about 65 years old in human terms.

Yuyu started living with her male namesake in 1999. In January last year, they became a popular attraction after they started licking each others’ mouths in an action closely resembling a kiss.