Kansas zoo’s red panda cub dies 2 months after birth

The smallest of three red panda cubs born Aug. 12 at Lee Richardson Zoo in Garden City was euthanized Friday, Oct. 6.

On Monday, Oct. 2, staff monitoring the cubs noticed one was losing weight and “lagging substantially” compared to his brothers. Staff planned supplemental feedings and prepared formula, but it was not enough to help the smallest cub, according to a release.

“When staff were next able to separate the cubs from their mother to provide the first extra feeding on Tuesday, the smallest cub was in crisis,” the release states.

He was then moved to the veterinary clinic for tube feeding and attention to a penile injury.

“The littlest red panda gave all he had as did veterinary and animal care staff but it just wasn’t enough,” said Lee Richardson Zoo’s general curator Sarah Colman. “The littlest one may have only been with us for a little while, but it hurts to have lost him. The two other cubs are doing well. One is big for his age, and the other is gaining weight more quickly than he was, since there’s less competition.”

The mother, Ember, and her two other cubs are indoors, where they will most likely stay until late October or early November.

This story was originally published October 9, 2017 at 2:36 PM with the headline "Kansas zoo’s red panda cub dies 2 months after birth."