Just months after making his grand debut at a suburban Philadelphia zoo, a young red panda mysteriously died Sunday.
The Elmwood Park Zoo announced the death of 18-month-old Clinger on Friday. Clinger was one of three red panda brothers that came to the Norristown, Pennsylvania zoo from the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute this past spring and made their debut in June.
"This is a sad time for all of us," said Elmwood Park Zoo veterinarian Dr. Adam Denish. "Our staff and patrons have become very fond of the red pandas."
Denish performed a necropsy on Clinger after the furry animal was found unresponsive Sunday morning, said the zoo. The vet found no obvious cause of death and a zoological pathologist would look over tissue samples with hopes of finding out why Clinger died.
The zoo performed full examinations of the Clinger’s brothers Shredder and Slash and found both animals to be healthy.
Red Pandas are an endangered species resembling a raccoon that feeds on bamboo and are traditionally found in southwestern Asia.
