23-year-old red panda dies at Kansas zoo

Veterinarians at a southwest Kansas zoo have euthanized a 23-year-old red panda who suffered from arthritis.

The Lee Richardson Zoo in Garden City says the red panda named Firecracker was put down this week because of health complications of old age. Zookeepers say the animal lived for 23 years and 4 months.

Firecracker was transferred to Garden City in 2000 from the National Zoo in the District of Columbia.

The pandas are indigenous to east Asia. They have red and white markings and bushy tails. They grow to about the size of a house cat.

This story was originally published November 20, 2014 at 9:58 AM with the headline "23-year-old red panda dies at Kansas zoo."