On May 21, 2026, the Nishiyama Zoo in Fukui Prefecture lost its most famous resident: Minfa, a 20-year-old female red panda. Known as the queen of escapes, this little escape artist managed multiple getaways that challenged the keepers and delighted the media. Her death was officially announced on May 22, closing a chapter of adventures that lasted nearly two decades.
The engineering of escape: lessons from a red panda 🧱
Minfa's repeated escapes forced the zoo to review its safety protocols. Each escape exposed a flaw in enclosure design: from gaps in mesh to deficient locking systems. The case has become a case study for zoos on how a 5-kilogram animal can exploit weak points in infrastructure designed for larger species. The final solution included perimeter reinforcements and motion sensors.
The queen is gone, but her legacy of chaos lives on 🦝
Minfa lived 20 years, surpassing the average for her species by five. Perhaps her secret was the constant exercise of planning and executing escapes. While other red pandas were content to sleep on a branch, she dedicated herself to the architecture of evasion. Keepers can breathe easy, though they are surely already checking the locks just in case some mischievous spirit decides to take one last stroll.