The finding of Red Pandas within the Langtang National Park area has encouraged conservationists.
A team of conservationists led by lecturer Hari Prasad Sharma, department of zoology (TU), had recently found one Red Panda each in Chandanbari area of Rasuwa and Dhadepani area of Nuwakot. It is believed that the areas harbor around 100 Red Pandas. The areas lie at an altitude of 2,800 to 4,000 metres above sea level.
The mission was initiated by the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation’s Himalayan Landscape Project supported by WWF.
The Langtang National Park said it was preparing a long-term conservation strategy to protect the Red Pandas by securing food and habitat for them so that internal and foreign tourists could be lured to the area and contribute to the living condition of the people living in the region.
Though a study conducted by Dr Prahlad Yangden in 1982 had found 73Red Pandas in Chandanbari area of Rasuwa, they could not be conserved due to lack of funds and technical expertise.
Joint secretary at the Department said the department, national park and the landscape project would prepare the strategy after collecting suggestions from the locals and the stakeholders concerned and the main focus of the strategy would be conservation of Red Pandas.
Red Pandas are 60-cm long, have 40-cm long tail and weigh 3 to 6 kg. They copulate only during the winter season and a female Red Panda can give birth to four offspring at a time. Experts said it won’t be difficult to raise the number of Red Pandas once food sources and habitat for them is secured.
Lecturer Sharma said Red Pandas enter adulthood within a year and get separated from mothers at around 1.8 years of age. He said dogs, leopards and vultures are some of the natural predators of Red Pandas and they also need to be protected from illegal wildlife traders. Red pandas have an average lifespan of 14 years.
Officials said people would cooperate them in conservation of Red Pandas as a people-centric approach would be adopted to protect them.
A team of conservationists led by lecturer Hari Prasad Sharma, department of zoology (TU), had recently found one Red Panda each in Chandanbari area of Rasuwa and Dhadepani area of Nuwakot. It is believed that the areas harbor around 100 Red Pandas. The areas lie at an altitude of 2,800 to 4,000 metres above sea level.
The mission was initiated by the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation’s Himalayan Landscape Project supported by WWF.
The Langtang National Park said it was preparing a long-term conservation strategy to protect the Red Pandas by securing food and habitat for them so that internal and foreign tourists could be lured to the area and contribute to the living condition of the people living in the region.
Though a study conducted by Dr Prahlad Yangden in 1982 had found 73Red Pandas in Chandanbari area of Rasuwa, they could not be conserved due to lack of funds and technical expertise.
Joint secretary at the Department said the department, national park and the landscape project would prepare the strategy after collecting suggestions from the locals and the stakeholders concerned and the main focus of the strategy would be conservation of Red Pandas.
Red Pandas are 60-cm long, have 40-cm long tail and weigh 3 to 6 kg. They copulate only during the winter season and a female Red Panda can give birth to four offspring at a time. Experts said it won’t be difficult to raise the number of Red Pandas once food sources and habitat for them is secured.
Lecturer Sharma said Red Pandas enter adulthood within a year and get separated from mothers at around 1.8 years of age. He said dogs, leopards and vultures are some of the natural predators of Red Pandas and they also need to be protected from illegal wildlife traders. Red pandas have an average lifespan of 14 years.
Officials said people would cooperate them in conservation of Red Pandas as a people-centric approach would be adopted to protect them.
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