The Chattanooga Zoo is preparing to say goodbye to Pilatus, the first red panda born there in the past eight years.
Friday, the 1-year-old Pilatus will be sent to the Beardsley Zoo in Connecticut as part of a national breeding effort to preserve the red panda species.
“He’s about the age where he would be leaving his mom in the wild as well, so it is time for him to head out,” Chattanooga Zoo General Curator Lacey Hickle said in an interview. “We’re all going to be sad to see him go, but they know that it’s important for the species for him to go on and, hopefully, have his own offspring in the future.”
The departure is part of a carefully managed conservation effort, the Species Survival Plan, overseen by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Because the Chattanooga Zoo already has a breeding pair — Pilatus’ parents, Saffron and Avi — Beardsley Zoo will take Pilatus. Pilatus will be paired with a female red panda named Ponya, based on their genetic compatibility as determined by the Species Survival Plan program.
Chattanooga Zoo Director of Marketing and Communications Jake Cash said the panda made waves across social media when he was born, racking up millions of views and quickly becoming a local favorite. He’s rambunctious, photogenic and charismatic, according to Cash, and the keepers are all close to him.