NORFOLK — The Virginia Zoological Park was not at fault in the disappearance of Sunny, a red panda that went missing in January, officials say.
Sunny went missing on Jan. 23. The zoo’s search efforts included the Norfolk Police Department using a geothermal camera to search the area, a donated drone for an overhead look of the grounds, a community search party and the Newport News Sheriff’s Office bringing a dog to attempt to sniff her out.
Sunny was housed in one of the zoo’s two red panda enclosures with her intended mate, Thomas, when she went missing. Zoo staff believes Sunny left her enclosure of her own volition.
“We still believe Sunny might have fallen off a tree branch onto the boardwalk and escaped off of zoo grounds,” zoo spokeswoman Ashley Grove Mars wrote in an email.
“If she fell onto the pathway she could have followed it around until the pathway opens up into the main zoo area,” Mars continued. “Without hotwire on the fence or barrier walls (outside her exhibit), she would be able to climb a fence or a tree and get out of the zoo.”
To ensure the safety of red pandas living at the Virginia Zoological Park, the United States Department of Agriculture did a focused inspection of Sunny’s exhibit on Feb. 9. The agency found that the enclosure had no compliance issues that would put the pandas at risk.
“We were out there when the panda first went missing. When an animal escapes we want to see if there’s a non-compliance,” said USDA spokeswoman Tanya Espinosa. She added that non-compliances could include broken locks, holes in the enclosure or policies and procedures that don’t meet the USDA’s standards.
Mars said that the red panda enclosure has barrier walls and climbing furniture, but isn’t monitored by cameras. Since Sunny disappeared, the zoo hasn’t changed much about the red panda exhibit except to continue to regularly maintain the landscaping, Mars wrote.
“We have trimmed back the larger trees in Sunny’s exhibit,” Mars said.
Sunny and other red pandas like her are monitored by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums, or AZA. Red pandas are an endangered species, with fewer than 10,000 in the world, according to the World Wildlife Foundation.
Sunny was part of the AZA’s species survival plan. The plan helps the AZA manage the red pandas at their accredited zoos and include the consideration of genetic diversity and the best placement for the individual panda, said AZA Vice President Rob Vernon.
Sunny was placed in the Virginia Zoological Park, located at 3500 Granby St., after being born at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in the Washington D.C. area.
Sunny was about 18 months old when she disappeared, and it was her first breeding season, said Sarah Glass, the North American red panda species survival plan coordinator.
“During breeding season these guys do become more active because in the wild they would start actively looking for other red pandas,” Glass said. “Even though there’s a red panda in the very exhibit with them, they are hardwired to start traveling and advertising themselves.”
Glass said that Sunny came from a “valuable line” of red pandas, meaning that her genetics are not well represented in the species’ community. Too close of a genetic line for animals that breed together can be problematic, much like incest in human families and relationships.
Although there have been no legitimate sightings of Sunny reported to the NPD — there have been about 16 calls for service regarding the panda since January, but most have been identified as raccoons — Glass said it’s possible that she is surviving in Norfolk.
Mars agreed, adding that red pandas eat bamboo, fruit and leaves.
“… she would naturally be able to find lots of food and even water resources on zoo grounds and in the neighborhoods surrounding the zoo,” Mars said. “Her biggest threat would probably be traffic.”
Glass said that red pandas are great “escape artists,” and good at hiding. It’s possible that Sunny has made her home in the city’s trees.
“I hold out a slight bit of hope that she’ll be found,” Glass added. “It would be a great adventure.”
In May, the Virginia Zoological Park welcomed a new, juvenile red panda, Masu. She was moved to the zoo as part of the AZA’s red panda species survival plan and lives in an exhibit with a male named Timur.
The zoo hopes the pair will mate.
Send news tips to [email protected].
