Remembering Khumbie

We are deeply saddened to share that we have said goodbye to our red panda, Khumbie.

During his annual exam under anesthesia, his bloodwork showed some unexpected abnormalities, and our veterinary team decided to pursue exploratory surgery. They discovered more abnormalities throughout his liver, gallbladder, and abdominal lymph nodes consistent with cancer. The team made the difficult and compassionate decision to humanely euthanize him. At 11 years old, he was entering his geriatric years. In the wild, red pandas typically live between 8 to 10 years.

Khumbie spent nearly his entire life at Philadelphia Zoo. He was born on June 15, 2014 at the Erie Zoological Gardens and arrived at Philadelphia Zoo in November 2015. In 2017, he became a father to two boys, Pingjing and Yaren. Khumbie was a favorite among staff, volunteers and guests for his gentle demeanor and readiness to participate in training. He served as an incredible ambassador for his species for not only the hundreds of thousands of guests who got to know him, but the millions of people who engaged with his picture-perfect photos and cute-as-can-be videos on social media. He was often seen interacting with themed enrichment for all types of celebrations, including rooting for the Phillies in Red October and the Eagles on their Super Bowl runs. He thrived in Philadelphia winters, enjoying every snow fall and the snowmen his care team would create with his favorite foods: grapes and apples. These peeks into Khumbie’s life are proof of the care, passion and dedication of the team that cared for him for the last 11 years. We are so thankful for everything they do to provide for our animals and give them the best lives possible.

From Animal Care Specialist Charline C.

“My favorite memory of Khumbie is watching him interact with the various enrichment puzzles he would get. He was always very food motivated and watching him interact with the enrichment to get the snacks inside was always fun to watch. At first, we would try something new with him, and it might take him awhile to get it, but the next time around he was ready and knew what to do. It was always the highlight of my day.”

From Animal Care Specialist Abby D.

“Like everyone who had the pleasure of meeting Khumbie, I loved him instantly. He was a friend to all (especially if you had snacks). Khumbie was a star at training as well, but he did it in his own Khumbie fashion. Sometimes he would try to find the easiest way to get his reward, even if he knew that wasn’t what you were asking him to do. He could be silly, but he was still incredibly good at training and was trained for a voluntary blood draw. He had his own version of bed head where if he slept really well, he’d wake up with his whiskers bent in all sorts of funny ways. Khumbie impacted each and every one of us who worked with him during his 11 years. There will never be another red panda quite like him. We will miss him so incredibly much.”

From Animal Care Specialist Shannon F.

“Khumbie was the perfect animal to work with. He liked to spend time with his care givers and seemed like he was always interested in what we were up to. He was always motivated to work hard to find is favorite snack, apples. He was very easy going and would travel around his habitat so guests could see how perfect he was, too. It was almost like he knew what a camera was because he was just so photogenic. ‘Khumbie Bear’ was the best red panda a keeper could ever hope to work with, and I’m filled with an immense gratitude to be one of them.”

In November 2025, we also said goodbye to another red panda, Honey, who passed from complications during recovery from anesthesia. Our veterinary team worked valiantly to determine the cause and to overcome the complications, but unfortunately, Honey did not successfully recover. Anesthesia inherently comes with risk in all species, even in otherwise healthy people and animals. These unexpected deaths are incredibly difficult for our Zoo family.

From Animal Care Specialist Charline C.

“My favorite day with Honey was the day when she finally trusted me. All the hard work put into building the relationship and watching her come over right away for enrichment and bamboo was well worth the time and energy.”

From Animal Care Specialist Abby D.

“Honey had a knack for training and was one of the smartest animals. She was a brave and courageous girl with a large personality. The first time I met her, she stared me down before hesitantly taking an apple, and was the same way with all the members of her care team when she first met them.  Once she got to know you, however, she was just as sweet as can be. Honey’s favorite place to nap was on any flat, wooden plank. She was given so many seemingly more comfortable options but given the choice, her favorite way to take a nap was on a wooden plank with all of her limbs hanging over the edge. She holds a special place in our hearts forever.”

From Animal Care Specialist Shannon F.

“Honey was a sassy girl, but she was also a sweetheart. She always seemed to have something to do or somewhere to be– a busy ‘honeybee’ if you will. My favorite moments with her were when we would be in a training session and we would lock eyes. I could feel that she trusted me and what I was doing. That’s all you can ever hope for in building a relationship with an animal. I  dearly miss ‘Little Miss Buns’ as we lovingly called her.”

With the loss of Khumbie and Honey, we are in touch with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival Plan on the future of red pandas at Philadelphia Zoo. We will keep you informed as the process progresses.

Red pandas are found in the eastern Himalayas. They have been classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature since 2015 with threats including habitat loss and poaching. Zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums work together to learn and share knowledge about red pandas, provide excellent care, and manage the population through the Species Survival Plan.