Red panda escapes from zoo in northern California

http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/nov/20/red-panda-escapes-from-zoo-in-northern-california

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A red panda named Masala has disappeared from a zoo in northern California.

The 18-month-old female went missing from the Sequoia Park Zoo in Eureka, California, sometime between 11am and 2pm on Thursday.

Zoo manager Gretchen Ziegler told the Times-Standard newspaper that any resident who spotted Masala should not approach it, but try not to lose sight of it and call the zoo or police.

Ziegler said the biggest threat to Masala would be cars or an animal that preys on small animals. Red pandas are about the size of house cats but have big tails.

It is unclear how the panda disappeared. Ziegler says the enclosure seems secure, but zookeepers are watching the exhibit’s three other pandas.

Red pandas are native to Nepal, Myanmar and China.