Primula is still not available to see at Ueno Zoo due to treatment (oct 4 news)

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sebbyusermanul

15 hours ago

A photo of a Pallas's cat in Ueno Zoological Gardens, October 4, 2026

Primula, before injury 

Primula is a 9-year-old female Pallas's cat born on April 20, 2017, at the Saitama Children's Zoo, who later became a key breeding resident at Ueno Zoo alongside her partner, Klyon. In late December 2025, during a breeding introduction, she suffered a sudden difficulty walking that was diagnosed as a pathological fracture of her left humerus caused by an underlying malignant bone tumor. Though she briefly returned to a modified display after initial treatment, a follow-up medical examination on July 6, 2026, confirmed that the cancer had tragically metastasized to her lungs. To protect her well-being and prioritize intensive medical and palliative care, Ueno Zoo officially and permanently withdrew Primula from public exhibition on August 30, 2026, moving her to a private veterinary space where her old enclosure was subsequently handed over to her recovering daughter, Shafran.