Red panda found safe after escape from California zoo

After an intense search effort in Eureka, Calif., a fluffy red panda was found unharmed and returned to the zoo from which she had escaped, officials said Sunday.

Masala – a young female panda – was found late Saturday night about half a mile from the Sequoia Park Zoo, officials at the zoo said.

A resident spotted Masala near her home, called staff at the zoo and guided the panda into a fruit tree to prevent her from fleeing, zoo manager Gretchen Ziegler told the Eureka Times-Standard.

Masala was coaxed down from the tree and she remains in quarantine at the zoo, Ziegler said.

Since her escape Thursday, zoo and city officials had launched an extensive search effort. The panda posed no danger to the public, but officials were concerned about safety of the rare animal.

Native to the Himalayas and southwestern China, red pandas are nearly extinct because of deforestation, park officials said.

Masala and her twin sister, Cini, were born in the park on July 9, 2014, according to the zoo’s website. They were birthed by Stella Luna, who was introduced to their father, Sumo, on Valentine’s Day in 2013.

Four months after the couple’s meeting, Móhú, the twin’s older sibling, was born and later transferred to Blank Park Zoo in Des Moines. Then Stella Luna became pregnant with the twins.

The couple’s pairing came at the recommendation of the Red Panda Species Survival Plan, a breeding program for the sustainability of a genetically diverse and healthy population of red pandas at zoos.

For breaking news in California, follow @MattHjourno.

Times staff writer Veronica Rocha contributed to this report.