HONG KONG - A Hong Kong theme park says the world's oldest-ever panda in captivity has been euthanized because her health was deteriorating.

HK 37-year-old panda Jia Jia set Guinness record of "oldest panda ever in captivity" (Lui Siu Wai) pic.twitter.com/kyXNuOEg6H

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Ocean Park says a veterinarian euthanized 38-year-old Jia Jia on Sunday evening to prevent further suffering and for ethical reasons.

Guinness World Records recognized Jia Jia as the oldest giant panda to live in captivity. The average lifespan for a panda in the wild is 18 to 20 years, while in captivity it's 30 years, according to Guinness.

Born in the wild, Jia Jia was taken to live at a breeding center in China's Sichuan province in 1980, when she was around 2.

She and another panda were given to Hong Kong as a gift from Beijing in 1999, two years after China took control of the city from Britain.