AKRON, Ohio — The Akron Zoo announced the passing of one of its red pandas, Penny. The zoo said after extensive treatments and care, Penny’s health declined from a brief illness, and the zoo made the decision to humanely euthanize her. 

Penny was born on July 11, 2019 at the Kansas City Zoo. Penny was then moved to Akron with her two sisters, Lulu and Coco, in October 2020. Lulu remains at the zoo, whereas Coco had been moved to the Philadelphia Zoo in 2022. 

The three were stars in the zoo’s web series, Panda Palace, which took place in 2021. It was a 20-episode series with more than four million viewers across five continents, according to the zoo. 

“The Akron Zoo family is feeling Penny’s loss,” said Doug Piekarz, president and CEO at the Akron Zoo, in a press release. “Through Panda Palace, Penny was able to connect with many people and educate on this endangered species and panda conservation. 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.” 

Red pandas are listed as endangered because of habitat loss and illegal hunting. The zoo partners with the Red Panda Network, which is a conservation organization that works to educate others on how to increase efforts to protect red pandas.