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Red panda escapes wildlife park for second time

Kush made his previous escape from Curraghs Wildlife Park on the Isle of Man in October.
Kush made his previous escape from Curraghs Wildlife Park on the Isle of Man in October. Kush made his previous escape from Curraghs Wildlife Park on the Isle of Man in October.

An endangered red panda has escaped from an Isle of Man wildlife park for the second time in three months.

Kush, one of three endangered red pandas at Curraghs Wildlife Park, previously escaped in October when a branch fell down to form a bridge, allowing him to climb out of his enclosure.

The seven-year-old panda was captured four weeks later in a nearby garden.

Statement: Unfortunately our red panda Kush has escaped for the second time. He is one of three red pandas in the…Posted by Curraghs Wildlife Park on Thursday, January 9, 2020

He escaped again on Monday, and an investigation has been launched into how it happened.

General manager Kathleen Graham said red pandas were “very hardy” but added that she was “very concerned” to locate the missing animal.

Red pandas are classified as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List. They are great climbers and very curious, which means they can be difficult to contain.

The wildlife park team have been searching the surrounding area and motorists were being urged to slow down when driving in the vicinity of the park.

Kush is not dangerous but, if spotted, members of the public are urged not to try to catch him and to call the park on 01624 897323 instead.