At a program organized on Saturday in Taplejung to mark the third International Red Panda Conservation Day, Dambar Bishta, coordinator of Red Panda Network, announced that they will intensify the panda conservation programs instead of opening up the trail in the ACA. [break]
Previously, the network had decided to develop the Red Panda Trail to attract more tourists in the ACA and help the local community to raise its living standard.
“Since Red Pandas are dying at such an alarming rate, it is absolutely pointless to attract tourists to the ACA,” said Bishta. “Instead, our focus should now be on finding the real causes of the deaths of Red Pandas and protecting them from becoming extinct. We will begin the trail in the ACA only after ensuring that Red Panda´s population is safe.”
The rapid degradation of bamboo forest, Red Panda´s main habitat, due to an increase in human population has already pushed the panda species to the verge of extinction. In Nepal, Red Panda is considered as one of the highly endangered species.
Even worse is that in the last one-and-a half year, six Red Pandas have been found dead - four in Pathivara region of Taplejugn and two in the ACA. One after another death of Red Panda has pressed an alarm button among panda conservation activists. “Now, Red Panda conservation has topped our priority list,” said Chandra Mani Limbu, chairman of Himali Conservation Forum, which has been running the panda conservation programs.
It is still not clear as to what exactly led to the deaths of Red Panda in Taplejung. “We have done various researches to ascertain the real causes of the Red Panda deaths,” Bishta said. “We will publish reports about the causes of Red Panda deaths within two months.”
According to the network, over 300 Red Pandas are found in 24 different districts of the country. One third of the Red Panda population is found in Ilam, Panchthar and Taplejung districts alone.
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