A runaway red panda is back in the Hangzhou Zoo after evading keepers for an impressive 242 days.

Zookeepers tranquilized the escaped bear-cat Wednesday after a security guard at a tutoring center spotted it sleeping in a tree near Hangzhou's West Lake, Jiang Zhi, deputy director of the Zoo, told the Qianjiang Evening News.

"What a journey he's had," said Jiang. "It's time for him to go back home."

The panda had been on the run ever since December 6 when it and two other companions climbed out of their zoo habitat on fallen branches.

Two of them were caught the same day.

But over the next 8 months, reported sightings of the last escaped animal around West Lake trickled in, said Jiang.

Two young girls at the same tutoring center also caught sight of the elusive panda on July 30. 

"I didn't know if it was a raccoon (at first)," said 10-year- old Fu Yi, who described seeing the ring-tailed animal with white ears. "It was so cute!"

Qianjiang Evening News