Santa Barbara Zoo red panda Ruby dies after loss of cubs

The Santa Barbara Zoo has announced the death of Ruby, a 2-year-old red panda. Her passing comes weeks after the deaths of her two newborn cubs, which were the first red pandas born at the zoo in more than 30 years.

Zoo officials believe Ruby suffered from Addison's disease, an endocrine disorder that affects hormone production. Veterinary teams suggested that the "physiological stress of pregnancy, birth, and lactation" likely triggered an acute Addisonian crisis. Despite undergoing extensive testing and receiving care from specialists, her condition declined rapidly, and she died on Wednesday morning.

Ruby's two cubs died in July; one at two weeks of age and the second at three weeks. While pathology is ongoing to further understand Ruby's illness, staff noted that her condition was not believed to be connected to the earlier loss of the cubs. Ruby had arrived at the zoo from the Seneca Park Zoo in New York in May 2025. Her partner, Raj, is now the only red panda remaining at the Santa Barbara Zoo.