WASHINGTON (— Animal keepers from the National Zoo have captured a red panda in a Washington neighborhood after it went missing from its enclosure at the zoo.
National Zoo spokeswoman Pamela Baker-Masson says the male named Rusty was captured Monday afternoon in a bush in the Adams Morgan neighborhood.
The red panda is being taken to the zoo’s animal hospital for a checkup.
Unlike giant pandas, red pandas are not members of the bear family. Red pandas are slightly bigger than a domestic cat and look similar to a raccoon. They are listed as vulnerable in the wild.
Police have zoomed in on one subject in the missing red panda investigation. Whereabouts unknown. pic.twitter.com/cFNXVzHqs6
— Andrew Kaczynski (@BuzzFeedAndrew) June 24, 2013
Baker-Masson said animal keepers discovered the male named Rusty was missing Monday morning. They began searching the zoo at 8 a.m.
Animal keepers last saw him Sunday evening about 6 p.m. when he was fed and appeared healthy.
In response to red panda charges, I have an alibi, Callista and I were feeding our pet elephants all evening ( just a joke) help find panda
— Newt Gingrich (@newtgingrich) June 24, 2013
Rusty arrived at the zoo in April from the zoo in Lincoln, Neb., and was in quarantine for several weeks until he went on exhibit in early June. Rusty is vaccinated and is not aggressive, but he is a wild animal and could bite if he became cornered and scared, Baker-Masson said.
The zoo began sending out messages about his disappearance Monday morning on Twitter in case someone saw him at the zoo.
“Unless he was very motivated, he would not wander far from his habitat,” Baker-Masson said. “This red panda is not down on the (National) Mall.”