The male red panda had been missing from the National Zoo in Washington D.C. since 6:00 p.m. Sunday evening. Authorities have yet to announce how the furry fugitive managed to escape.

"The keepers last saw him when they fed him on Sunday night," said Devin Murphy, a spokesperson for the zoo. "They noticed he wasn't in his cage at 7:30 a.m. when they went to check on him."

She said that zoo officials combed the grounds for the panda, who is less than a year old.

"He could be sick & hiding, or someone could have taken him," the Zoo posted on Twitter on Monday morning before finding their wayward charge. "Please help us keep an eye out for Rusty."

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