There is sad news in Atlanta this week.
Last week, Zoo Atlanta’s red panda care team found Ruby the red panda in her enclosure. In a statement on their instagram, Zoo Atlanta wrote, “We are deeply saddened by the unexpected passing of Ruby, a female red panda. Ruby was found deceased by her care team on March 8, 2024.”
What happened?
In their post informing the public of this tragic loss, Zoo Atlanta wrote:
“The definitive cause of Ruby’s death is not yet known. Preliminary findings of a necropsy, or the non-human equivalent of an autopsy, indicated a mesenteric torsion. This is often a fatal condition that occurs when the intestines twist. Further investigation will be performed with the Zoo’s partnership with the University of Georgia Zoo and Exotic Animal Pathology Service in the College of Veterinary Medicine and should provide the teams with more information.”
About Ruby
Ruby was a relatively new addition to Zoo Atlanta. She and her sister, Rose, arrived to Atlanta in February of 2023. Rose is still alive and well at Zoo Atlanta. Ruby and her sister are both a part of the Himalayan subspecies of red panda, which is native to Nepal.
According to Zoo Atlanta’s website, Red Pandas tend to live for around 8-10 years on average in the wild and into their late teens in zoos. They love to climb and play in the higher vantage points in their habitats. They are not closely related to pandas, like their name might suggest, but instead are distantly related to raccoons.
Zoo Atlanta
If you’d like to visit Zoo Atlanta, you can grab tickets here!
Our hearts are with Ruby’s care team, who will miss her dearly, and the whole zoo community. Rest in peace, Ruby.