Khumbie the red panda dies at Philadelphia Zoo
Khumbie was born in 2014 at the Erie Zoological Gardens and arrived at the Philadelphia Zoo in November 2015.
Khumbie, an 11-year-old red panda who lived most of his life at the Philadelphia Zoo, has died.
“During his annual exam under anesthesia, his bloodwork showed some unexpected abnormalities, and our veterinary team decided to pursue exploratory surgery,” officials at the Philadelphia Zoo said Wednesday.
The team discovered abnormalities throughout his liver, gallbladder, and abdominal lymph nodes consistent with cancer.
“The team made the difficult and compassionate decision to humanely euthanize him,” zoo officials said.
Khumbie was born on June 15, 2014, at the Erie (Pa.) Zoological Gardens and arrived at Philadelphia Zoo in November 2015.
Red pandas, which are not bears like the better-known giant panda, are native to the eastern Himalayas and southwestern China, and typically live eight to 10 years in the wild.
“At least seven different [vocalizations] have been recorded from the red panda, comprising growls, barks, squeals, hoots, bleats, grunts, and twitters,” according to the red panda Wikipedia page.
In 2017, Khumbie became a father of two boys, Pingjing and Yaren.
Khumbie enjoyed Philadelphia winters and eating grapes and apples.
Zoo officials said Khumbie was a favorite among staff, volunteers, and guests for his “gentle demeanor,” and was praised as “an incredible ambassador for his species.”
Last November, another red panda, Honey, died from complications during recovery from anesthesia, zoo officials said.