Toronto Zoo announces unexpected death of red panda cub, Dash

Officials confirmed that a three-month-old red panda cub at the Toronto Zoo died unexpectedly following a sudden illness.

The zoo had recently launched a public contest to help name the red panda cub known as Baby Spice but eventually called Dash. On Monday, officials said Dash showed no signs of illness on Saturday before staff noticed he had become weak and lying on his side one day later.

“He was rushed to the Wildlife Health Centre for immediate treatment by our veterinary team, where he was put on oxygen, administered fluids, given antibiotics, and warmed up as his temperature was low,” the Toronto Zoo said in a statement.

“He was stable for a short period but then took a turn for the worse, at which point he stopped breathing and had no pulse. Resuscitation attempts were made but were unsuccessful.”

The zoo says a post-mortem exam was conducted to understand the possible cause of Dash’s rapid decline. Wildlife keepers noted that Dash made “an incredible impact” and gained a social media following.

“It was wonderful to see his mom, Paprika, become such an amazing mother and to see the bond develop between her and Dash,” zoo keepers wrote.

“We enjoyed watching him grow and meet every milestone with gusto.”

Red pandas a challenge to care for, zoo says

The Toronto Zoo says Dash’s death “underscores the fragility of cubs” and that caring for these endangered animals can be particularly challenging.

“Red pandas are a very complicated species, and for several decades your Toronto Zoo did not have success breeding them,” officials said.

“For the past 10 years, our Reproductive Sciences team has been studying pregnancy-related hormone changes to understand better the lack of breeding success to improve the species’ odds of survival.”

A red panda in the wild. Photo: Unsplash.

The red panda is mainly threatened by the destruction and fragmentation of its habitat, with poaching seen as another detriment. The species has been listed as endangered since 2015.

“Red pandas are a difficult-to-breed species due to pre- and post-partum challenges with offspring survival,” the Toronto Zoo said.

“Evidence shows a high percentage of early pregnancy loss in this species compared to others, with 40 per cent of pregnancies being lost before birth, as shown in a 10-year study by colleagues at Cincinnati Zoo.”

Toronto Zoo staff says they’re grateful to provide excellent care to our animals amidst the heartache of Dash’s death.