Photo by Mehgan Murphy, Smithsonian’s National Zoo.

Shama, the mate of famed National Zoo red panda Rusty and new mother to three cubs, is dead. She was seven.

The red panda was euthanized Saturday at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Virginia. An autopsy revealed swelling of the brain likely caused by a microscopic parasite. She and Rusty were moved from the National Zoo to Front Royal in January after Bao Bao’s arrival near their enclosure made breeding difficult.

According to a release, keepers first noticed Shama was suffering from a neurologic disorder in August, and she quickly worsened. Her three cubs are now being hand-reared and treated with an anti-protozoal, as is Rusty.

“Shama’s death is a big loss for all of us and for those who study and care for red pandas everywhere,” National Zoo director Dennis Kelly said in a release. “I have a lot of confidence in the team caring for the surviving cubs and hope this creates an opportunity for scientists to research infectious diseases that affect red pandas.”