Beloved endangered creature — a mom to 8 cubs — has died, NC zoo says. ‘She was a joy’
%20WNC%20Nature%20Cente_fitted.jpeg "Leafa, a popular resident at a North Carolina zoo, died at age 15.")
A beloved endangered creature — a mom to eight cubs — has died at a North Carolina zoo.
Leafa, a curious and easygoing red panda, was a fan favorite at the wildlife park in Asheville.
“She was a joy to have, and we’re all heartbroken obviously,” Chris Gentile, director of the Western North Carolina Nature Center, told McClatchy News in a Jan. 13 phone interview. “But we can take some comfort in the fact that we know she lived a great life with us.”
Leafa, born in 2009, was one of two red pandas transferred from a Chicago zoo in 2018. She and a male, Phoenix, were the first animals of their species to be on exhibit in Western North Carolina.
“They were immediately embraced by all who came out to meet them and quickly became the most popular residents at the Nature Center,” Erin Oldread, curator of animal programs, wrote in a Facebook post.
Leafa played a role in continuing her species when she welcomed eight babies. Later in life, she was known for being more dominant than Phoenix and for having an “inquisitive” nature.
“She would always be the first to come over for food,” Gentile said.
The zoo, which focuses on species found in Southern Appalachia, said people likely wondered why it brought in the creatures, which are found in parts of Asia. The areas have similar mountainous terrain, and the ties don’t end there.
“The red panda’s ancient cousin once lived in the Western North Carolina region,” the zoo wrote on its website. “Bristol’s Panda (Pristinailurus bristoli) is an ancient North American relative of the living red panda whose fossils have been discovered at the Gray Archeological Site in the Southern Appalachian Mountains of Tennessee.”
In the wild, the zoo said red pandas face threats from habitat loss and can live to be about 10 years old. Leafa died at age 15 after her health had been declining. As of Jan. 13, the zoo was awaiting necropsy results to learn her cause of death.
“We are all heartbroken,” Oldread said in the Facebook post. “But we know that we did all that we could to give her a wonderful seven years with us.”
Though red pandas aren’t social animals, the zoo said it monitored Phoenix’s behavior after Leafa’s death. The wildlife park is considering future steps for the red panda exhibit.
The facility has been closed to the public since Hurricane Helene slammed the region in late September, washing out a nearby bridge. As of Jan. 13, Gentile didn’t have a clear re-opening date.
This story was originally published January 14, 2025 at 9:06 AM with the headline "Beloved endangered creature — a mom to 8 cubs — has died, NC zoo says. ‘She was a joy’."
