Red panda missing for two days from Adelaide Zoo, found in Botanic Park rescued with a dart

Ravi the red panda escaped from Adelaide Zoo and was found in a tree in Botanic Park. Keepers failed to lure him down and he was shot with a tranquilliser dart. See the video of the rescue.

Just how did Ravi the red panda escape from Adelaide Zoo? Authorities are hoping CCTV footage will shed some light on the young panda’s adventure into Botanic Park on Sunday.

It comes after the panda was rescued from a tree after its escape by zookeepers, who spent hours in the park on Sunday trying to lure Ravi down from a Moreton Bay fig tree.

Director of Adelaide Zoo Phil Ainsley told ABC Radio Adelaide that zookeepers would look through the CCTV footage today to determine what happened.

“This morning what we’ll be doing is reviewing all of our CCTV footage from around the zoo, there will be a couple of things, firstly to try and understand how he got out of his main enclosure, and secondly how he managed to breach our external fence,” he said.

Ravi will not be returned to his enclosure until keepers discover how he escaped.

The panda eventually had to be brought down to safety with a tranquilliser dart.

Dr Ainsley said Ravi had been recaptured and will spend the next two to three days in an animal health department, presumably under tight security.

“Our initial intent was that we tried to use some food entices which was bamboo and some sweet corn. Unfortunately, that didn’t get too much of a response and probably with all the activity in Botanic Gardens today wasn’t going with it. Based on the advice from our vets, we made the decision of darting him,” Dr Ainsley said.

Ravi the red panda in a tree in Botanic Park outside the zoo. Picture: Morgan Sette

Ravi the red panda at Australia Zoo. Picture: Australia Zoo

A sharp-eyed security guard spotted Ravi in the tree on Sunday morning. Picture: Tom Huntley

Ravi was resting when he was hit by the dart. A vet in a harness went up on a ladder with a net to coax Ravi out of the tree and into waiting blankets held by zoo keepers.

Dr Ainsley said the keepers go through regular training in case an incident of this nature occurs.

Dr Ainsley said a security guard on a routine trip had found animal in Botanic Park on Sunday morning. Ravi had been missing for two days.

“Since early Friday, we’ve been on the search for our male panda. This morning, one of our keepers as part of the process looking outside the zoo, was able to detect Ravi,” said Dr Ainsley.

Dr Ainsley said the public was not alerted to the escaped animal for two reasons.

“One, obviously we deemed him low risk, but the other part was we actually thought that it was more likely he was inside the zoo based on the fact that he was newer in the space.” 

Ravi is a seven-year-old male red panda and only arrived at the Adelaide Zoo from the Australia Zoo in Queensland last week.

Ravi was born in Adelaide Zoo seven years ago, and had been moved to Australia Zoo in Queensland some years ago.

Zookeepers at the base of the tree, waiting for Ravi’s rescue. Picture: Tom Huntley

Dr Phil Ainsley from Adelaide Zoo speaks to media about the escaped red panda. Picture: Morgan Sette

A vet takes aim at Ravi with a tranquilliser. Picture: Morgan Sette

Ravi the red panda lands in a blanket under the tree. Picture: Zoos SA

Dr Ainsley said since the animal escaped, staff had been checking trees in Botanic Park which provided suitable habitat for red pandas.

Dr Ainsley said red pandas are incredibly agile and the bad weather, along with Ravi still getting accustomed to his new habitat, could have led to his escape.

“Unfortunately with him being a new animal, obviously testing in terms of containment, he’s managed to find a way out,” Dr Ainsley said.

Dr Ainsley said keepers tried to entice Ravi down with his favourite foods such as sweet corn, bamboo and dried figs, but had to use a dart instead.

Adelaide Zoo has three red pandas. The zoo’s female red panda, Mishry, was moved to a free-roaming area of the zoo in March this year.

The exhibit allows her to use climbing tunnels to reach a giant Moreton Bay Fig near the zoo’s entrance.