Rogue red panda found safe after escaping from Columbus Zoo enclosure for two days

A red panda that vanished from her habitat at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, leaving two nursing cubs behind, was found Thursday evening, wildlife officials said.

Kora, whose size and markings resemble a raccoon’s but with different colors, had last been seen in her Asia Quest habitat Tuesday, the zoo said in a statement. On Wednesday morning, she was gone.

Teams searched overnight, but in the end, Kora had not strayed far. She was spotted by two zoo guests who glimpsed her on the ground amid dense foliage near the habitat, zoo officials said in an update. When wildlife staff arrived, she scooted up a tree, the statement said. Impending thunderstorms meant there was no time to coax her down, so she was tranquilized and brought home.

“Kora has since been returned to her habitat in Asia Quest, where she will have the opportunity to reunite with her cubs when she wakes,” the zoo said. “Her care team will continue their overnight watch to ensure they continue to do well, and red panda father, General Tso, will have the opportunity to join them in the morning.”

The zoo team had searched for her all day Wednesday and overnight into Thursday, caring for her nursing cubs while she was gone.

“They were fed with a specialized formula last night as well as this morning, and they did well, with full bellies and contented napping,” the zoo said Thursday morning.

While the rogue red mama resembles a raccoon, she is anything but, zoo officials said.

“Kora isn’t a threat to the public, but we — and her cubs — really want her to return home,” the zoo reiterated in Thursday’s statement, urging any members of the public nearby to call if they spot her, rather than try to capture the animal. “It is best to not approach her, as they are naturally shy and we don’t want to frighten her.”

Animal care staff at the zoo have been searching extensively in the dense vegetation in and around the habitat as well as the zoo, and other animals have been brought indoors to make their habitats available for unfettered searching, the zoo said.

“Red pandas are excellent climbers and live in trees,” the zoo said.

While red pandas are thought to be cousins of the giant pandas who cohabit the bamboo forests of central and southwest Asia, they are in an animal class of their own, according to CNN. They strongly resemble raccoons, but are not related.

During the day, these nocturnal animals sleep in tree hollows and other natural shelters, the zoo said. The habitat was searched for bent or broken branches that could have served as an escape pathway, and sagging branches have been trimmed to ensure the male panda stays put.

But Kora seems to have vanished into thin air.

“Footage from the den camera and security cameras located through the facility are being evaluated by staff, but so far, there have been no sightings or strong evidence of how she went missing,” the zoo said.

The nursing cubs lend the matter more urgency, zoo officials said, emphasizing that Kora is not dangerous.

“The animal does not present a threat to the public, but the zoo is eager to locate her,” the statement said. “She is the recent mother of two cubs who are still nursing. The zoo’s care team is prepared to feed the cubs with specialized formula if necessary. The Animal Care team believes she’s likely close by and that she may return on her own, due to her two cubs.”