(The Root) — It was the most adorable jail break ever: Rusty, a red panda, disappeared from the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., yesterday.
The cute little guy just wanted a chance to kick up some dust on the outside for a bit. Roll around in some daisies, maybe. Make friends with a baby otter. You know, cute, cuddly red panda stuff. But before he could so much as find a beach ball to bat around, The Man put poor little Rusty back in chains — and it's all Twitter's fault.
The zoo tweeted that Rusty was on the lam at 10:51 EST Monday morning. By 12:35, Adams Morgan resident Ashley Foughty tweeted this picture, pleading for someone to come and "save" him.
Asked for comment, Rusty the Red Panda said, "I always knew social media would be the downfall of society. Nobody talks anymore, you know? She and I could have hung out. But no … just snap a pic, put it on Twitter and send me back to the clink."
Sorry, Rusty. Maybe the revolution won't be televised next time.
Read more at the New York Times.
Tracy Clayton is a writer, humorist and blogger from Louisville, Ky.