Camera Trapping Underway in Myagdi to Identify Red Panda Population

Myagdi. Cameras have been installed in the Jaljala and Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve areas of Myagdi's Dhaulagiri Rural Municipality to identify the status of the endangered animal Red Panda (Habre). With the support of donor agency Toledoju, Bio-diversity Conservation Society Nepal (Biocus) Nepal has started identifying the status of Habre using the 'camera tapping' method in the Jaljala, Muna, Mareni, and Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve areas, which fall under wards 2 and 3 of Dhaulagiri Rural Municipality where Red Pandas reside.

Biocus Nepal's Program Officer Pawan Rai informed that 12 automatic cameras have been installed in places where Habre movement is likely and where scat has been found. "Based on the visuals captured by the cameras, it will help in identifying the estimated number of Red Pandas," he said, adding, "A study is also underway regarding the condition of parasites (worms-flukes) in the stomach and intestines of Habre in this area."

A technical team has been mobilized to study the Habre's droppings and collect information about its health status and to assist in its conservation. The Red Panda, which inhabits altitudes between 2,200 to 4,500 meters above sea level, has been listed as an endangered wildlife by the government.

Program Officer Rai stated that three cameras were previously installed in Jaljala, and Red Pandas were found in two of them. He mentioned that there are between six to 25 Red Pandas residing in that area.

Local residents had released pictures and videos of Habre found in the Gurjaghat of Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve in Ashwin, 2080 BS, and in the Banchedanda area of Dahpatal Community Forest in Muna in Mangsir, 2081 BS, and on 31st Baishakh, 2083 BS.

In 2073 BS, with the financial support of the World Wildlife Fund and the Green Forest Program, the Red Panda Network and the Himalayan Conservation Forum found Red Panda droppings in Mareni, which falls in the Jaljala area. Red Pandas, which rest in tree hollows at night and relax on tree branches during the day, descend to the ground to eat bamboo shoots and other grasses when hungry.

The bamboo and other grasses necessary for Red Pandas, along with suitable trees, are abundant in the forests of Gurja, Lulang, and Muna. The Red Panda is listed as a protected species under the National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act, 2029 BS.

There is a legal provision for those involved in the poaching of Red Pandas to face imprisonment from one year to 10 years and a fine of Rs 100,000 to Rs 500,000, or both. According to the latest study, the estimated number of Habre in Nepal is between 500 to 1,000. The Red Panda's habitat is found only in Nepal, China, India, Bhutan, and Myanmar globally. The species found in Nepal is Ailurus fulgens.