A red panda from the Akron Zoo has died after a brief illness. Penny, one of two red pandas at the zoo, was euthanized after her health and quality of life declined. 

“The Akron Zoo family is feeling Penny’s loss,” said Doug Piekarz, the zoo’s president and CEO, in a press release. 

Penny and her sisters, Lulu and Coco, were born at the Kansas City Zoo in July of 2019 before moving to the Akron Zoo in October 2020. The three red pandas took center stage in the Akron Zoo’s Panda Palace, a 20-episode web series in 2021. Coco moved to the Philadelphia Zoo in 2022. Lulu still lives in the Akron Zoo’s red panda habitat.

“Through Panda Palace, Penny was able to connect with many people and educate on this endangered species and panda conservation,” Piekarz said. “Guests visited the zoo specifically to see Penny and her sisters, making her an incredible celebrity ambassador for the zoo and her species. She will be deeply missed.”

Habitat loss and illegal hunting are blamed as main causes for red pandas being listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List. The Akron Zoo works in partnership with Red Panda Network on conservation efforts for the species.

Multimedia reporter/producer (she/her)
Kassi Filkins strives to be an active part of whatever community she finds herself in and joins Signal Akron in its mission to bring accessible and community-focused news to all Akronites.

Kassi was born and raised in Central Ohio and is a photojournalism graduate of Kent State University. She was a staff member at the Southeast Missourian and the Hartford Courant before working in non-profit communications.

Kassi lives in Highland Square and enjoys local coffee shops, walking along trails in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park and hanging out with her dogs, cat and husband.