Red panda shot out of tree with tranquilliser after escaping Adelaide Zoo

An adventurous red panda who escaped his zoo enclosure just one week after arriving was only able to be rescued once shot with a tranquilliser dart. 

Zookeepers from Adelaide Zoo spent hours on Sunday trying to coax Ravi, a seven-year-old male red panda, from a fig tree in the Botanic Park next door.

Director of beloved wildlife facility Dr Phil Ainsley said the rescue team tried to lure Ravi down with food but were eventually forced to use a tranquilliser dart, then catch him as he fell out of the tree.

‘Our initial intent was that we tried to use some food entices which was bamboo and some sweetcorn,’ she told The Advertiser.

‘Unfortunately, that didn’t get too much of a response and probably with all the activity in Botanic Gardens today wasn’t going with it. Based on the advice from our vets, we made the decision of darting him.’

Ravi will spend the next two to three days under careful watch in the zoo’s animal health centre.

A security guard found little Ravi while doing a routine check of the garden on Sunday morning.

Zookeepers were thankful to find the red panda asleep in the fig tree after his enclosure was found empty on Friday morning.

Unable to get to him, they shot Ravi with a tranquilliser dart before a vet climbed the tree to gently push him into an outspread blanket below.

Ravi’s exciting trip comes just one week after he arrived at Adelaide Zoo from Queensland’s Australia Zoo last week. 

Zookeepers believe he was able to escape to the fig tree using a series of climbing tunnels in his enclosure.

Ravi, a seven-year-old male red panda, was sedated and pushed out a fig tree in Adelaide Botanic Park after escaping his enclosure at Adelaide Zoo (pictured, Ravi falling from the tree)

Adelaide Zoo shared a video of Ravi on Sunday afternoon to confirm he was alright after his expedition to the wild.  

‘We are delighted to say that Ravi is now safely back inside the zoo after making his way just outside to a neighbouring tree,’ the video caption read.

‘Red Pandas are master climbers and while we take every effort to provide a secure area, the combination of panda prowess coupled with the weather helped him to go on adventure. 

The zoo said they will provide an update on his condition tomorrow adding that at the moment Ravi just needs a good rest.

‘As an endangered species, in part due to habitat destruction, we hope that Ravi will play a part a breeding program to create a solid insurance population,’ the zoo said.

‘A big thank you to the team of keepers and vets who worked so hard to retrieve Ravi. Also to Koala Rescue for lending a hand.

‘We look forward to giving you an update on Ravi soon.’