3-year-old red panda found dead at Zoo Atlanta

ATLANTA — Zoo Atlanta is mourning the loss of one of their red pandas, Ruby.

Officials say Ruby was found dead in her habitat on Friday. She was three years old.

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While her cause of death is not yet official, preliminary findings from a necropsy point to a mesenteric torsion, which occurs when the intestines twist.

“This is a devastating loss for Zoo Atlanta. Our thoughts are with Ruby’s care team who, like all of the Animal Care Teams at Zoo Atlanta, are deeply committed to the animals and devote each day to their superior care and well-being,” said Sam Rivera, DVM, Vice President of Animal Health. “While it is too early for us to presume on any specific cause, we are hopeful that pathology report results will tell us more about Ruby’s condition.”

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Ruby and her sister, Rose, arrived to Zoo Atlanta in February 2023 from Zoo Knoxville in Tennessee.

Ruby and Rose are part of the Himalayan subspecies, which is native to Nepal, Bhutan and parts of India.

The World Wildlife Fund lists red pandas as an endangered species.

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