Blaze had been born in a Kansas zoo in 2013 before moving to the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Virginia, where he sired two offspring. He came to Seneca Park Zoo in 2018 for the Zoo's Cold Asia exhibit.

“When he first came to Seneca Park Zoo, Blaze was very shy and timid,” said zookeeper Heidi Beifus in the release. “Over the next 17 months, with a lot of attention from keepers, he became quite adept at training and learning new behaviors that greatly assisted with his care. He was a very sweet panda.”