SALT LAKE CITY, Aug. 19, 2025 (Gephardt Daily) — Hogle Zoo on Tuesday reported the death of Chinese red panda Kiaria, who died Thursday at age 8.
“Her health rapidly declined due to gastrointestinal challenges, which can be common for red pandas in managed care,” the Zoo statement says.
“Hogle Zoo’s veterinarians provided advanced care onsite and then transported Kiaria to MedVet Salt Lake City for evaluation by board-certified critical care and internal medicine specialists. After a thorough assessment and with consideration for her critical state and wellbeing, Hogle Zoo made the compassionate decision to humanely euthanize her.”
James Steeil, DVM, DACZM, Species Survival Plan (SSP) Red Panda co-vet advisor, said Gastrointestinal disease is a common cause of both morbidity and mortality for red pandas in managed care.
“Research has shown in adult red pandas it is the third leading cause of death in North American zoos. Gastrointestinal disease in red pandas continues to be an area of research as the disease is multifactorial and clinical resolution is often difficult to achieve,” Steeil said.
Photo: Hogle Zoo
Kiaria arrived in November of last year from the Toledo Zoo. She was intended to be part of a breeding program, as a possible mate for the Zoo’s red panda, William.
“Over the past several months, her dedicated animal care and veterinary teams worked to adjust her diet, provide medication, and closely monitor her health, including surgery in one instance to look for an obstruction and administering IV fluids for a separate bout of GI challenges,” the Zoo statement says.
“In recent weeks, Kiaria had been eating well, sleeping, and showing her playful personality,” the statement says.
Chinese red pandas are found in the mountainous forests of the Eastern Himalayas and belong to their own unique family, Ailuridae, the Zoo statement says. Due to factors including habitat loss and degradation, and poaching, it’s estimated that the overall population of red pandas has declined by 40%.
