Chattanooga, Tenn. (WDEF) – He’s fuzzy, he’s feisty—and he’s heading off on a new adventure.
Pilatus, one of the Chattanooga Zoo’s beloved red pandas, is saying goodbye to his birthplace as he moves to Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo.
The move is part of an important mission: ensuring the survival of his species through a carefully planned breeding program.
“We Love You, Pilatus!”
As visitors gathered to say farewell, children stood around a hand-painted sign shouting, “WE LOVE YOU PILATUS!”
It was a heartfelt send-off for a fan favorite whose time in Chattanooga has officially come to an end.
Jake Cash, the zoo’s Director of Communications, shared the story behind Pilatus’s journey—and what lies ahead.
“One of our beloved red pandas, Pilatus, who was born here just a year ago, is moving to Connecticut to Beardsley Zoo, and he’s gonna be matched up with a female there. Her name is Ponya,” Cash explained. “So while we’re sad to see him go and we love him so much, we’re also really excited because it’s an important part of his life cycle.”
Pilatus’s departure isn’t just about travel—it reflects what red pandas would do in the wild.
“Red pandas are solitary in the wild,” Cash said. “So after about a year with their mom, they will actually go away and be solitary. Then around breeding season—usually in January and February when it’s nice and cold—the males and females meet up. The ones that are about 18 months old and have gained reproductive abilities will reproduce.”
Pilatus is part of a much larger mission known as the Species Survival Plan (SSP), a coordinated effort among accredited zoos to protect endangered animals.
“It’s a natural part of Pilatus’s life cycle to move on from Chattanooga Zoo,” said Cash. “He’s part of the SSP—which stands for Species Survival Plan—strategically regulated breeding across all AZA zoos, which is the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.”
“It’s a really important process to make sure we have a healthy, genetically diverse population of red pandas in zoos,” he continued. “That way, we’re not taking them from the wild, and people can still see them, connect with them, and come to appreciate them more.”
Even as Pilatus heads north, the zoo hopes to welcome more red pandas soon—thanks to his parents, Ovie and Saffron, who remain in Chattanooga.
“With Pilatus leaving, we’ll just have Ovie and Saffron here, who are his parents,” Cash said. “We’re really hopeful that next breeding season—this January or February—they’ll be able to reproduce again. So we’re hoping to have another red panda or even twins here at the zoo.”
He adds with a smile:
“Fingers crossed. Follow us at Chattanooga Zoo and check out the website to stay up to date on everything we’re doing—including new animal births and things like that.”
As Pilatus embarks on his next chapter, the Chattanooga Zoo turns the page with hope—ready for the next life to arrive.
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