The Red Panda was named David Bowie. (Photo courtesy of Cape May County Zoo)
A beloved red panda that had a rock star’s name and was a crowd favorite died Thursday at the Cape May County Zoo.
Cape May County Board of Commissioners Vice Director Andrew Bulakowski, liaison to the zoo, expressed how deeply saddened the zoo staff was to learn of David Bowie’s death.
“He was a visitor favorite and loved attention and spending time with his keepers. He will be missed by the entire zoo family,” the zoo said in a statement.
The findings of the panda’s necropsy, the veterinary equivalent of an autopsy, indicated that the cause of death was mesenteric torsion, a condition that occurs when the intestines twist. Most cases are nearly 100 percent fatal, and animals pass away very quickly, the zoo said.
David Bowie’s keepers fondly shared that the panda loved his dried cranberries, was a whiz at his puzzle feeders, although he often liked to cheat by flipping them, enjoyed climbing upside down on the exhibit fencing, and was “incredibly sweet and patient” during training sessions.
The Cape May County Parks and Zoo are open daily except during inclement weather. The parks are open from 7 a.m. to dusk, and the zoo is open from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Visit the zoo website at cmcZoo.com.
