It eats shoots and leaves, and now “ambles” down the roads of Cornwall — according to Newquay residents who have spotted a red panda on the loose.
The animal ventured half-a-mile from Newquay Zoo and was spotted in a greengrocers’ courtyard, where she was “swiftly recaptured and returned to her home”.
Devon and Cornwall Police were called and collected the panda on Friday afternoon.
“[It was] ambling down the road without a care in the world,” a witness told the BBC.
“One of my staff in the loading bay shouted out that they could see a red panda coming down the road.
“I thought, ‘Are you sure it isn’t just a big, funny-coloured cat?’ But no, it was a red panda.”
Red pandas more closely resemble raccoons, skunks, and weasels than the much larger bears which share the same name.
The adorable creatures were discovered 50 years before their black and white namesakes but are actually from a totally different family of animals called ailuridae. They feed primarily on bamboo, which plays an important role in ecosystems.
According to the zoo, they are classified as endangered by International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) due to various threats, including hunting, poaching, competition with domestic livestock, and habitat loss caused by deforestation and fragmentation.
“Thankfully, conservation efforts are in full swing to safeguard the future of these charming creatures,” a statement added.
Newquay Zoo has two red pandas, Seren and Sundara — the latter of which is the newer arrival and the one which escaped.
Dave Folland, head of Newquay Zoo, told the Standard: “On Friday morning, a red panda called Sundara, who had arrived at Newquay Zoo earlier this month, escaped from her enclosure.
“Our team responded in accordance with well-practised procedures, and she was swiftly recaptured and returned to her home.”
Newquay Zoo has been contacted for further information.
