Animal matchmakers pass on Saskatoon's red panda

The news that the Saskatoon Forestry Farm Park and Zoo's red panda won't be getting a mate made staff feel blue.

Althoughdisappointing, John Moran, the zoo's manager, said he understands the process.

"It's all based on genetics," he said.

The Species Survival Plan (SSP), an organization that manages threatened or endangered species, determined that Phoenix's bloodline is well represented at this point and a mate won't be sent to Saskatoon.

Last fall, Phoenix was matched up with a partner from North Dakota, but she developed some medical problems and couldn't make the trip.

Moran hopes that the SSP will eventually provide the red panda with a partner. Until then, he said that Phoenix isn't lonely. He's a solitary animal.

"It's no big deal for him," Moran said. "He's quite happy and content."