Isle of Man red panda famed for park escape is put down

Kush was a popular attraction with visitors at the park

A "charismatic" red panda famous for escaping from a wildlife park on the Isle of Man twice has been put down after a short illness, keepers have said.

Kush, who was eight-years-old, was a popular attraction at the Curraghs Wildlife Park in Ballaugh.

A spokeswoman said the endangered mammal had "experienced a sudden loss of co-ordination" on Tuesday.

It was put down the following day to "prevent further suffering", she added.

Tests will be carried out to determine what caused the illness, but the results will not be known for several weeks.

General Manager Kathleen Graham said park staff were "shocked and saddened" by the death of the "larger than life character".

The park is currently home to four other red pandas, including three fathered by Kush, two of which were born in July.

Kush was well known on the island for escaping from his enclosure twice

Kush shot to fame on the island after escaping from his enclosure twice in four months, being recaptured for a second time in January 2020.

Ms Graham said: "Sadly Kush was still in his prime at eight years old, which makes his death a little harder to take for all those that cared for him.

"Although his life was shorter than we would have expected, it was certainly not uneventful and he leaves three daughters to carry on his lineage.

"I would like to thank keepers for their dedicated care, it's never easy to lose such a charismatic animal you have cared for."

Kush is the third red panda to be put down at the park in recent times, following the deaths of an "exceptionally old" 18-year-old female in March and a male cub, who had developed an untreatable neurological condition, in November 2020.