No sign of Sunny: Virginia Zoo still searching for red panda

NORFOLK, Va. – Two weeks have passed since a red panda named Sunny escaped the Virginia Zoo and the raccoonlike animal is still missing.

The Virginian-Pilot reports (http://bit.ly/2llcZLK) that sightings of the animal in Norfolk have dwindled to nearly none.

Executive Director Greg Bockheim says the 19-month-old critter should be fine if she avoids dogs and motor vehicles. She eats bamboo, and plenty of that grows in the area. She’ll eat other plants as well.

The zoo continues to conducts its own searches of zoo grounds. Bockheim said the zoo is hoping she’ll just show up. He said that’s what red pandas do sometimes.

Red pandas, which are native to China, have escaped exhibits in the United Kingdom, California and Washington, D.C. But they’re often retrieved in days, if not hours.

___

Information from: The Virginian-Pilot, http://pilotonline.com