World Wildlife Day 2017: Remembering the famous animals whose recent deaths caused worldwide mourning

A girl seen petting Harambe the gorilla's statue after his death at Cincinnati Zoo.

New Delhi: March 3rd of each year marks World Wildlife Day, a day to raise awareness about animals and plants that adorn planet Earth.

Introduced by the United Nations in 2013, World Wildlife Day is celebrated with a new theme each year.

World Wildlife Day will be observed in 2017 under the theme 'Listen to the Young Voices.' Since almost a quarter of the world’s population is aged between 10 and 24, vigorous efforts need to be made to encourage young people, as the future leaders and decision makers of the world, to act at both local and global levels to protect endangered wildlife.

The past year has seen a lot of animal deaths, many that the Internet has mourned over. Animal lovers across the world took to social media to let out and share their grief with others.

From Harambe the gorilla to Machali the tigress, this World Wildlife Day, we remember seven beautiful wild lives that left the world.

1. Arturo (1985 – July 3, 2016):

Arturo was the only polar bear living in Mendoza Zoological Park in Mendoza, Argentina. Born in the United States and transferred to Argentina in 1993, Arturo was pegged as the "world's saddest animal" by animal rights activists, because of his controversial living conditions. the cage Arturo resided in had temperatures reaching up to 40°C in Argentina, and the pool in Arturo's cage was only 20 inches deep. Arturo was 31 years-old at the time of passing. (Image courtesy: The Daily Mail)

2. Granny (born c. 1911, presumed dead between October–December 2016):

Granny, also known as J2, was the the world's oldest known killer whale (orca). Named “Granny” by marine researchers due to her extended age, the orca was presumed to have been roaming the ocean for around 105 years (with a margin of error of 12 years). This means she was born before the Titanic ship sank in 1912. The news about her death has been issued by scientists who were monitoring her since 1976. (Image courtesy: Wikipedia)

3. Harambe (May 27, 1999 - May 28, 2016):

In an incident that caused people across the world to erupt in a furore, Harambe – a 17-year-old Western lowland gorilla – was shot dead at the Cincinnati Zoo – after he grabbed and dragged a three-year-old boy who fell into his enclosure. The incident was recorded on video and received broad international coverage and commentary, including controversy over the choice to kill Harambe. The decision to kill the ape was a 'difficult' one, according to the zoo officials, but had to be taken since the boy's life was in danger. (Image courtesy: YouTube)

4. Jia Jia (28 July 1978 – 16 October, 2016):

Hong Kong’s Ocean Park euthanized the world’s oldest captive panda Jia Jia, who was about 114 in human years. The zoo made the decision because old age left Jia Jia immobile, spending her days lying in her cage, refusing to eat. At the time of her death, she had been suffering from high blood pressure, arthritis and cataracts.

5. Machali (1996 – 18 August 2016):

A fierce Bengal tigress, Machali was a revered member of the Ranthambore National Park in India. She was considered India's most famous tigress and was celebrated with titles such as Queen Mother of Tigers, Tigress Queen of Ranthambore, Lady of the Lakes, and Crocodile Killer. At the time of her death, she was considered the world's oldest tigress living in the wild. Machali was famous for her fight with a 14-foot-long crocodile, which resulted in the reptile's death. She was 20-years-old at the time of passing. (Image courtesy: Facebook/Ranthambore National Park)

6. Pan Pan (1985 – 28 December 2016):

The oldest male giant panda in captivity, Pan Pan won a million hearts with his cuteness. He was dubbed the "panda grandpa" for his many offsprings and has at least 130 descendants worldwide – more than a quarter of the world's captive-bred panda population. He was 31 years-old at the time of death.

7. Bebac (1985 – 8 January, 2017):

A 32-year-old western lowland gorilla, Bebac, died of a heart disease in the Cleveland Zoo. Bebac and his zoo companion Mokolo were both diagnosed with heart conditions in 2008. Bebac began failing in December and veterinarians were unable to save him.