Red panda born at John Ball Zoo has died in Atlanta

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — A red panda born at John Ball Zoo has died.

Officials at Zoo Atlanta have announced that Ruby, a 3-year-old female, died unexpectedly last week.

Sign up for the News 8 daily newsletter

“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,” the zoo said in a statement. “This is often a fatal condition that occurs when the intestines twist.”

Zoo Atlanta will work with their partners at the University of Georgia to confirm the findings.

Ruby was part of a litter of three red panda cubs born to Wasabi and Wyatt in June 2020. Ruby, Rose and Willow were all transferred to a zoo in Knoxville in 2021. According to Zoo Atlanta, Ruby and Rose were transferred to Georgia in February 2023.

John Ball Zoo helps launch program to save red pandas

“This is a devastating loss for Zoo Atlanta,” Sam Rivera, the zoo’s Vice President of Animal Health, said in a statement. “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.”

Red pandas are considered an endangered animal. There are believed to be fewer than 2,500 adults in the wild, with the population decline blamed on the destruction of the bamboo forests where they live in the Himalayan Mountains.

John Ball Zoo has been working as part of a breeding program for several years now and is a founding member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ SAFE species program dedicated to boosting the red panda population.

Ruby’s father, Wyatt, was brought to John Ball Zoo in 2017. Ruby’s mother, Wasabi, was brought to Grand Rapids in 2019. They have had two litters of cubs together. Wyatt also fathered two cubs with a different mate before coming to John Ball Zoo.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com.