An attempt was made to steal the endangered red panda from the zoo in Jawalakhel, Lalitpur, on Tuesday.
Senior Superintendent of Police Shyam Krishna Adhikari of the District Police Range, Lalitpur, said that two youths who had come to the zoo on Tuesday afternoon tried to steal the animal.
He said that the two youths tried to take the red panda away by stuffing it into a bag. However, they later abandoned the animal and ran away.
"There is one red panda in the zoo. Two youths had come. They were seen trying to take it away in a bag. But later, they fled from there," SSP Adhikari said.
A joint team comprising a representative from the zoo and the police has begun an investigation into the incident.
SSP Adhikari said that a search is underway for the fugitive youths.