Missing Red Panda Latest: Virginia Zoo Searching For Cousin Of Giant Panda Lost Tuesday

A female, 19-month-old red panda named Sunny reportedly went missing from a Virginia zoo Tuesday night and local police are helping zoo officials track her down, The Washington Post reported.

The red panda, sometimes referred to as the lesser panda when compared to the black and white giant panda indigenous to south-central China, was last seen Monday afternoon at 5 p.m. inside its habitat but on Tuesday morning it could not be found.

Police are using a geothermal camera to track Sunny after a “thorough search” of the entire Virginia Zoo in Norfolk. The officials were hopeful Sunny was still somewhere in the zoo but told the Post that she may have “wandered off the property” and could be found in the surrounding area.

The small mammals, typically covered in most red or orange looking fur but sporting white coloring on their faces, are similar in size to the average house cat, according to Live Science. Originally, they were believed to be relatives of raccoons but were later found to have similar DNA to bears.

They usually grow as long as 20 to 26 inches, with their tails adding potentially 10 to 20 more inches, and can weigh between 10 to 20 pounds. Much like the giant panda, the red panda relies on bamboo for 85 to 95 percent of its diet, which is one of the reasons they are found in Nepal’s mountains as well as central China and northern Myanmar, places that allow for rainy, tropical forests.

Usually, the red panda is most active in the early morning or early evening hours, so spotting Sunny during the daytime may prove difficult for the zoo.

If you possibly spot Sunny, officials ask to call the zoo at 757-777-7899. However, the zoo is asking not to try to approach or touch her, but rather take a photo and text it to the hotline number provided, ABC local affiliate WRIC reported.