(WWJ) Staff at the Columbus Zoo are searching for a missing red panda, who vanished from her habitat Wednesday.
Even worse: The missing red panda is the recent mother of two cubs who are still nursing.
Kora, who sports a gorgeous red tail, was last spotted Tuesday evening, before storms smacked Ohio. Red pandas, who thrive on bamboo, fruit, and roots, are shy and solitary by nature.
Since her disappearance, the zoo announced that staffers "have been conducting an extensive search in the dense vegetation in and around the animal’s habitat and throughout the zoo."
As an added precaution, other animals living in nearby habitats have been brought indoors so those areas can be thoroughly searched as well."Red pandas are excellent climbers and live in trees," zoo staff wrote on Facebook. "They use natural shelters like tree hollows to den and sleep during the day. As there were strong storms overnight, team members searched the habitat to determine whether any tree branches were bent or broken, leading to the public pathways. One area of branches slightly sagging due to rainwater was trimmed back as an added precaution to ensure that the male panda safely remains within the habitat."
Footage from the den camera and security cameras located throughout the zoo are being checked, but so far there have been no sightings or strong evidence of how she went missing.
The zoo said red pandas pose no threat to the public, but animal care staff is eager to find her.
Kora is originally from the Cincinnati Zoo. She was sent to the Columbus Zoo in January to mate with a red panda there.
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