It comes with great sadness that Hertfordshire Zoo must announce the passing of their much loved Red Panda, Tilly.
Tilly was a fan favourite at Hertfordshire Zoo
Tilly has been part of the zoo family since arriving from Beauval Zoo in 2012 and was a favourite with all the team including the visitors. She has been a vital part of the European Breeding Programme having 5 cubs over the years, more recently in 2022, Tashi. The famous red panda sadly passed away on the afternoon of Tuesday 9th of April after battling age related health issues which impacted on her quality of life.
Tilly with Tashi, who was born in 2022
Tilly was always a very adventurous climber and was often seen by keepers and visitors climbing to the very top of the hornbeam tree in the Red Panda habitat to find her favourite spot to nap. In the Meet the Red Panda experiences, visitors would notice that Tilly’s favourite food was always bamboo which she could eat all day but as a treat she would always come down from the tops of the tree for the occasional fresh tasty grape which she loved. Tilly was an ambassador for red pandas across the world as they are classed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Hertfordshire Zoo continues to support the Red Panda Network who continue to lead the fight to save these incredible animals in the wild!
Tilly in her favourite napping spot
The team at Hertfordshire Zoo are incredibly saddened by this passing. Tilly was immensely loved by her keeping team as well as the wider team across the zoo. Tilly will be greatly missed by everyone who cared for her and by all who were lucky enough to meet her over the years. Everyone who got to meet Tilly fell in love with her and her unique characteristics. Tilly will remain in the hearts of all the team and visitors at Hertfordshire Zoo.
