The Philadelphia Zoo recently had to say goodbye to a special animal.
Khumbie, a red panda, recently died at age 11, the zoo announced on social media.Â
Khumbie spent most of his life in Philadelphia and especially enjoyed winter and snow, according to the zoo.Â
“He served as an incredible ambassador for his species for not only the hundreds of thousands of guests who met him in person, but also the millions of people who engaged with his picture-perfect photos and cute-as-can-be videos online,” the post says.Â
The veterinary team found abnormalities during Khumbie’s annual exam, and an exploratory surgery revealed he had cancer. They decided to humanely euthanize him as a result, according to the zoo.Â
Red pandas in the wild typically live to 8 or 10 years old, the post says.
Khumbie was born on June 15, 2014, at the Erie Zoological Gardens and arrived at Philadelphia Zoo in November 2015. In 2017, he became a father to two boys, Pingjing and Yaren, according to an article on the zoo’s website.
The zoo posted a series of photos on social media, including of Khumbie appearing to pose with Phillies and Eagles gear, munching on leaves and playing in the snow.Â
Animal care specialists shared their memories of Khumbie online.Â
“Like everyone who had the pleasure of meeting Khumbie, I loved him instantly. He was a friend to all (especially if you had snacks). Khumbie was a star at training as well, but he did it in his own Khumbie fashion,” Abby D. said.Â
Abby added, “He had his own version of bed head where if he slept really well, he’d wake up with his whiskers bent in all sorts of funny ways. … There will never be another red panda quite like him. We will miss him so incredibly much.”
“‘Khumbie Bear’ was the best red panda a keeper could ever hope to work with,” Shannon F. said, “and I’m filled with an immense gratitude to be one of them.”
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