The Toronto Zoo says a geriatric red panda has died months after she gave birth to two cubs, one of whom died weeks ago.
In a statement posted on social media, the zoo says 10-year-old Sakura died overnight sometime in the last week.
It says preliminary results suggest she experienced a cardiac arrest, but extra testing is being done to figure out what might have caused it.
The zoo said Sakura had been having health issues over the last few months.
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Earlier this month, the zoo said one of the cubs Sakura gave birth to in June had died while she was receiving care.
The zoo said the cub was the smaller of the two and a post-mortem examination found it had multiple health issues, including no fat reserve and signs of lung aspiration.
The zoo says it is now directing its full attention to caring for the surviving cub, nicknamed “Biggie” based on her size.
“In anticipation of health issues with mom, zoo staff had started supplemental feedings to give her the best chance of survival, and while we feel confident we are doing our best to help this cub grow, it should be noted that we continue to be cautiously optimistic as the first year of a red panda cub’s life is the most challenging,” the statement says.
Biggie has been putting on weight rapidly with formula and staff will continue to keep a close watch on her condition, the zoo says.
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