"Forget it, let's just run for it!" Big White gritted his teeth and placed the oversized panda headgear from the shelf onto his head. A panda with a big head and little body appeared in the locker room, resembling a cartoonish character with a special effect.
Thankfully, his evolved limbs allowed him to run upright. Through the headgear's mouth opening, Big White sprinted out with his short legs.
The locker room wasn't far from the panda house exit, as the person wearing the panda headgear needed easy access for quick changes.
---
Flower, a security guard at the Smithsonian Zoo, was responsible for monitoring the panda house. With over 20 years of service, he'd seen all kinds of animals. But today, as he prepared to change shifts, a loud noise erupted from the panda house exit, followed by a round figure darting out.
"Panda?" he muttered, stunned by the sight of a panda head bursting through the door.
The panda headed straight for him, prompting Flower to grab his tranquilizer gun and block its path.
"Stop, who are you?" As he approached, he saw a small figure wearing a giant panda head. Initially, he thought it was a child dressed in a panda costume, perhaps trying to sneak out with stolen items—a not uncommon occurrence.
Perhaps the child couldn't bear to leave the pandas and decided to take a panda headgear as a souvenir. This scenario reminded Flower of his own son, so he relaxed, holstered the tranquilizer gun, and extended a hand to stop the child.
"Hey, stop, kid, it's dangerous," he called gently, trying to halt the figure.
However, the figure didn't stop, charging forward with the big panda head.
"Hey, hey, stop, stop..." Flower took a step back, bracing himself to catch the child.
"Bang!" But upon contact, he was taken aback by unexpected strength, and he found himself on the ground, holding the panda mask.
"You're really strong," he remarked, setting the mask aside and looking ahead.
But instead of a child, Flower saw Big White, running on all fours, disappearing into the distance.
"Oh, shit! How could it be a panda!" Flower's eyes widened in shock as he realized the truth.
He rubbed his eyes in disbelief, then stared again. Despite the dim dusk light, he could clearly see it was Big White, the recent internet sensation.
"My God, how did the panda get out!" Quickly recovering, he pulled out his tranquilizer gun and aimed at Big White's fleeing form.
"Bang!" The tranquilizer dart shot out, but Big White had already slipped into the roadside greenery, vanishing from view.
A group of people, including the keeper and other staff, rushed out of the panda house.
Upon seeing Flower with the tranquilizer gun, they hurried over.
"Flower, did you see Big White? He ran out with a doll headgear!" one team leader asked anxiously.
"I did. It went toward the elephant house," Flower replied.
"What!? Why didn't you stop it?" the team leader yelled, grabbing Flower's collar.
"Relax, it's been tranquilized and can't go far. We just need to follow the tracks. Besides, it's your negligence that let it escape," Flower retorted, brushing off the leader's grip.
Flower was puzzled himself, wondering how the panda managed to escape with a doll headgear like a human. He initially thought it was a child.
"We need to hurry! If it reaches the elephant house and causes a disturbance, it could be dangerous," the keeper urged, anxious about her responsibility if anything went wrong.
"Yes, let's move! Notify the entire zoo to start searching for Big White. We can't afford any problems!"
If anything happened to the panda at their zoo, it wouldn't just affect interests and reputation but could escalate to international diplomacy issues—not something easily resolved by resignations.
---
Big White navigated through the greenery, feeling weak, his consciousness blurring. A tranquilizer dart still lodged in his rear, he pressed on, ignoring the discomfort.
He was almost there. He just needed to cross the bird house, reach the elephant house, and finally scale the wall to the parking lot to escape the zoo.
Growling, Big White pushed his weakened body forward.
As he passed the bird house, he startled numerous exotic birds, including black-fronted weavers, Micronesian emerald owls, burrowing owls, and roseate spoonbills, who watched through the isolation glass.
"Hurry, surveillance shows Big White is here," staff shouted from behind.
The bird house erupted in chirps, drowning out human voices.
With the bird calls as cover, Big White quickly moved through the bird house, finally reaching the elephant house.
Unlike the caged birds, the elephant house was open and expansive, the zoo's largest area, surrounded by greenery.
Besides giant pandas, elephants were among the zoo's most beloved animals.
---
Faced with the fence, Big White hesitated but decided to climb into the elephant house.
Originally, he planned to circle the perimeter and reach the parking lot wall. But with the tranquilizer's effects worsening, he lacked time for detours.
"No, my God, get out! You'll be trampled by the elephants!" A middle-aged man in a work suit with an elephant emblem ran over, shouting in fear.
But Big White, his mind foggy, was driven by sheer determination, dragging his heavy body into the elephant enclosure.
"Moo!" A baby elephant appeared, curiously eyeing the round panda.
Big White charged forward, unfazed by the baby elephant.
As they were about to collide, the baby elephant sidestepped, watching Big White continue running, then followed out of curiosity.
The elephant keeper pursued them, desperate to catch up.
Soon, Big White reached the wall of his destination.
He stopped, staring at the towering obstacle. In his eyes, it seemed an insurmountable barrier, despair creeping in.
The keeper finally caught up, relieved to see the panda halted by the wall.
"Oh my god, you finally stopped." But just as he thought it was over, two roars shattered the night.
"Roar!"
"Moo!"
A bear and an elephant roared into the sky, then surged forward with unstoppable momentum, racing toward the wall.
A meter from the wall, the baby elephant braked, while Big White used its body as a springboard, leaping over the towering barrier.
The keeper stood in shock, the black-and-white figure arcing out of sight.
"Moo!" The baby elephant trumpeted, as if bidding farewell.
"Oh my god! What did I just witness? Am I dreaming?" The keeper, overwhelmed, danced excitedly, speaking incoherently like a moviegoer after a jaw-dropping scene.
---
After vaulting the fence, Big White sprinted across a lawn, reaching the Smithsonian Zoo's parking lot.
He weaved through rows of cars, his pace slowing. Without a timely escape, today's efforts would be in vain, and future attempts even harder.
But luck was on his side. Just as he was about to collapse, he spotted a family preparing to leave.
As the trunk slowly closed, Big White mustered his last strength to leap in.
"Thankfully, it's an automatic trunk," he thought before succumbing to sleep.
George Stacy, settling into the driver's seat, felt the car dip slightly and glanced back.
"Gwen, buckle John's seat belt."
"OK."
"Dad, when can we see the pandas again?" Little John asked as his sister secured his belt, not forgetting his question.
"There'll be a chance. Mom and Gwen can bring you if they have time," George replied gently, starting the car.
"I really want a cute panda."
"We could get a dog or a cat. They're cute too," his wife suggested from the passenger seat.
"Think carefully before you decide. Once it's home, it's part of the family," Gwen added, tousling her brother's hair.
"Is that so..."
The car slowly exited the parking lot, unaware that the panda John longed for was in their trunk.