One red panda dies at Chattanooga Zoo, another is very ill

One of the red pandas at the Chattanooga Zoo has died, zoo officials say.

Bella, the zoo’s female red panda, died recently after fighting a skin infection for more than a year, according to a statement from Robin Derryberry, the zoo’s PR spokeswoman. Bella was 11 years old, which zoo officials say is past pandas’ average lifespan of eight to 10 years.

Butch, the zoo’s 16-year-old male red panda, also is ill, suffering from excess fluid around his lungs, the statement said.

For complete details, see tomorrow’s Times Free Press.