Red Panda Kiaria
Utah’s Hogle Zoo mourns the passing of female Chinese red panda
Utah’s Hogle Zoo is mourning the passing of female Chinese red panda, Kiaria, who passed away on August 14, 2025. Kiaria (8) had a history of gastrointestinal (GI) challenges, which can be common for red pandas in managed care.
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. In recent weeks, Kiaria had been eating well, sleeping, and showing her playful personality.
On August 14, 2025, her teams observed a rapid and severe decline in her health. Hogle Zoo’s veterinarians provided immediate advanced care and then transported Kiaria to MedVet Salt Lake City for evaluation by board-certified critical care and internal medicine specialists.
Despite our efforts, Kiaria responded minimally to treatments. After a thorough assessment, it became clear that she would not recover, and with consideration for her critical state and wellbeing, we made the compassionate decision to humanely euthanize her.
Kiaria came to Hogle Zoo from the Toledo Zoo in November 2024 as part of a breeding recommendation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Red Panda Species Survival Plan (SSP). After making her public debut in Asian Highlands in March 2025, she quickly became a favorite among guests and staff, known for her dark red features and a personality that balanced calm confidence with playful sass.
Affectionately known among her care team as the “boss of the cool room” — the indoor red panda habitat in Asian Highlands — Kiaria had a confident presence when she spent time with male red panda William (2) as part of their breeding recommendation. Red pandas are naturally solitary, so they often preferred their own space. William is expected to adjust well under the attentive care of his keepers, and guests can continue to visit him in Asian Highlands.
It was an immense privilege to have Kiaria in our care. She was a meaningful ambassador for her endangered species, helping to inspire greater understanding and appreciation for red pandas. This loss is deeply felt by our entire zoo team, and we understand that it is difficult news for our community to process. Thank you for your support and understanding as we mourn her passing. Kiaria will be dearly missed.
About Chinese red pandas
Chinese red pandas are found in the mountainous forests of the Eastern Himalayas and belong to their own unique family, Ailuridae. Adapted to cooler climates, they have larger bodies and longer fur to help retain warmth. Their reddish coats, striped tails, and distinctive facial markings resemble those of Himalayan red pandas, and face the same threats: habitat loss, degradation, and poaching. In the past two decades, it’s estimated that the overall population of red pandas has declined by 40 percent.
Animal Wellbeing
Hogle Zoo is committed to providing excellent animal wellbeing through individualized health care plans, including advanced critical care if resident animals experience rapidly declining health. Regular consultation with AZA-accredited institutions and community health partners is pivotal to achieving that commitment.
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