CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – The Chattanooga Zoo is saying goodbye to Pilatus, the red panda, as he prepares to move to a zoo in Connecticut.
The one-year-old is part of a national breeding program and will be paired with a female red panda, Ponya, in hopes of helping their endangered species.
Pilatus was the first red panda cub born at the Chattanooga Zoo in eight years, making him especially meaningful to the community.
Before his departure, the zoo hosted a send-off party where a few lucky guests were selected to feed him grapes during a special close-up encounter.
Jake Cash, Chattanooga Zoo’s Director of Communications, spoke fondly of Pilatus saying, “It’s a bittersweet day here at the Chattanooga Zoo. One of our beloved red pandas, Pilatus—who was born here just a year ago—is moving to Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo. He’s going to be matched up with a female there named Ponya. So while we’re sad to see him go and we love him so much, we’re also really excited. This is an important part of his life cycle.”
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