Zoo Escapee Rusty the Red Panda has Died

With heavy hearts, Pueblo Zoo announced that zoo escapee Rusty the red panda has died. According to the zoo, the panda had not been feeling well and was lethargic. On October 14, the famous red panda died at ten.

Rusty, the red panda, gained popularity on June 24, 2013 when he escaped the National Zoo in Washington. Due to the earlier rain, the branches were weighted down which he used to climb over and escape his sanctuary from. A family later found him a mile away from the zoo in Adams Morgan. His zoo escape led to many active citizens looking for him and plenty of tweets and laughter.

For a small, one-year-old red panda, his one-mile escape was epic. His five-year-old mate Shama who was also in the enclosure, did not escape with him. The following year, in July the couple welcomed three red panda cubs. A few months later, Shama died due to health complications.

While red pandas look nothing like their giant Asian panda cousins, they are still loved worldwide. When the animated movie Red Panda came out, its popularity increased even more. Rusty the red panda, has helped bring awareness to these amazing animals, and his legacy continues to live on. While red pandas are known to live up to 10 years in captivity, one male red panda from the Rotterdam Zoo lived to be 21 years old. We all wish Rusty and other red pandas could live just as long.