Rusty the red panda that escaped from the National Zoo in 2013 is dead: NPR
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Some people who were in Washington, DC, in 2013 are mourning the loss of Rusty red panda, who captivated the city when he escaped from the Smithsonian National Zoo nearly a decade ago. He’s 10 years old.
He died on October 14. Pueblo Zoo, where he lived, the cause of death is still unknown, Sandy Morrison, director of marketing and communications at Pueblo Zoo, told NPR in an email.
Bethany Morlind
The panda made headlines when the boy was just 11 months old, in June 2013. Officials say they think the rainfall has weighed on some of the tree branches in his exhibit, allowing him to fall over. the other side of the enclosure. He was later discovered in the Adams Morgan neighborhood of DC by a resident.
“I was walking home from lunch with my family when Rusty came out of the bushes on the sidewalk in front of us,” explained performer Ashley Wagner in an email to NPR. “He ran for a few blocks before hiding in a fenced yard.”
Wagner was able to take some photos of him and said Twitter seemed to be the fastest way to alert the zoo to Rusty’s location. The tweet allow the zoo to find him and return him to his home.
“In a time of headlines (and sometimes tech overload), I think Rusty’s story brings a sense of hope, change and adventure to our lives – and it highlights the best that social media can achieve,” Wagner said.
Bethany Morlind
In 2019, the panda was transferred from the Smithsonian Institute of Conservation Biology – where he and another red panda were moved for breeding purposes – to Colorado’s Pueblo Zoo. They have successfully mated while there.
The twin tiger cubs, a female named Momo and a male named Mogwai, were born in August 2021. They are still at Pueblo Zoo, but their mother, Priya, now lives at the Utah Hogle Zoo. .
“He was a great ambassador for the species and a fun, independent raccoon who formed a strong bond with our Keepers. He will be missed,” Morrison wrote.
The National Zoo has not made public comment.