Police officers were driving southbound on the M1 Princes Motorway about 3.30pm on Thursday when they came across the injured animal, Kesari.

Park staff rushed to the scene and are taking the red panda to a specialist vet for treatment, with the help of police.

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The red panda - one of three at Symbio - got out of its enclosure and the park when a tree fell down after all the recent wet weather, providing Kensari with a means of escape.

Upon seeing the fallen tree in the morning, the Symbio team commenced a full-scale search and rescue operation through the day and into the early hours of the morning with drones and thermal telescopes assisting the efforts.

The search operation continued on Thursday and tracking dogs were employed.

Unfortunately, Kesari had attempted to cross the major highway and a number of motorists spotted the red panda on the road on Thursday afternoon and slowed down, but one vehicle moved out to overtake them and struck the animal at low speed.

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Zookeepers were on the scene immediately and with the help of local police transported Kesari to expert veterinary care.

"The entire team at Symbio is devastated, as is the community, and we hope Kesari will make a full recovery," a Symbio spokesman said.

Kesari came from Auckland Zoo as part of a managed breeding program and has given birth to both twins and triplets in her time with Symbio, she is a much-loved member of the Symbio family.

The red panda is a small mammal, slightly larger than a cat, which is native to the eastern Himalayas and parts of China and Myanmar.

While only distantly related to the giant panda, the two species share a love of bamboo.

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