Santa Barbara Zoo red panda mother dies shortly after losing her newborn cubs

Ruby, a two-year-old red panda that arrived from Seneca Park Zoo in May 2025, died on Wednesday at the Santa Barbara Zoo after showing signs of distress and failing despite extensive veterinary testing. Her death follows the loss of her two newborn cubs, the first red pandas born at the zoo in more than three decades; the first cub died at two weeks and the second at three weeks, each removed for intensive care due to lethargy and inadequate nursing.

Zoo Director of Animal Care Kristen Wieners said Ruby likely suffered from Addison’s disease, an endocrine disorder whose hormonal stress during pregnancy, birth, and lactation may have triggered a crisis. Ongoing pathology investigations aim to clarify the illness, but staff do not believe the cubs’ deaths caused Ruby’s condition. Dr. Julie Barnes emphasized the tragedy’s impact on the zoo community and broader conservation efforts for a species with fewer than 10,000 individuals in the wild. Raj, a four-year-old male red panda and father of the cubs, remains the only red panda at the facility.