POWELL – Kora, the red panda who was discovered missing from her habitat a5 the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium during the morning hours of Wednesday is home safe and sound, zoo officials said.
As previously suspected, she was not far from her habitat and her newborn cubs, according to a press release.
Kora was spotted by two guests who noticed her on the ground among dense foliage between the rhino habitat and the entrance of the Pachyderm Building in the Zoo’s Asia Quest region and reported the sighting to zoo staff just before 4:45 p.m.
Kora climbed high into a nearby tree just above the rooftop of the Pachyderm Building and in an attempt to coax her down, zoo workers brought her favorite treats and her cubs but she remained in the tree.
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Because rain clouds were moving into the area and the team did not want to risk prolonging her return with evening approaching, the decision was made to tranquilize her and, after about six minutes, she fell 10 feet into a waiting net (see photo).
She was given a clean bill of health at the zoo’s Animal Health Center and was reunited with her cubs.