POKHARA: Endangered red pandas have been spotted in Jaljala, Muna, and Mareni areas of Dhaulagiri Rural Municipality in Myagdi district. Two of the three camera traps installed in the area captured images of red pandas, confirming their presence.
According to Pawan Rai, Program Officer at the Biodiversity Conservation Society Nepal, the camera traps were installed after researchers found red panda droppings during a month-long field study. “Our study has confirmed that between six to twenty-five red pandas inhabit the area,” he said.
A joint team of researchers and local residents conducted on-site studies in Khivang, Mudi, Arche, Dar, Takam, Bagar, Simkosh, Italy Base Camp, Mareni, Lulang, Gurjakhani, and Gurja Deurali areas of Dhawalagiri. Local residents had previously recorded sightings of red pandas in the Gurjaghat area of Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve in October 2023 and in the Banchredanda area of Dahpatal Community Forest in December 2024.
Earlier, in 2016, researchers from the Red Panda Network and Himalayan Conservation Forum had found red panda droppings in Mareni, supported by the WWF and Green Forest Program. Researcher Larisa Gautam said red panda ecotourism could bring income and employment to local communities.
“Given its proximity to Pokhara, Jaljala offers a unique opportunity to view red pandas along with stunning Himalayan and hilly landscapes,” she noted, adding that activities such as sports events, homestays, and trekking routes could be linked to red panda conservation.
Chief of the Division Forest Office, Bishnu Prasad Adhikari, said that while an exact count has not been conducted, a significant number of red pandas are believed to inhabit the forests of Gurja, Lulang, and Muna. Red pandas usually rest on tree branches during the day and descend to the ground to feed on bamboo shoots and shrubs.
The forests of Gurja, Lulang, and Muna provide abundant food sources and nesting trees for the species. Red pandas are listed as protected under Nepal’s National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1973. Poaching red pandas is punishable by up to ten years in prison and fines between Rs 100,000 and Rs 500,000.
According to recent estimates, Nepal is home to 500–1,000 red pandas, belonging to the Ailurus fulgens species found only in Nepal, China, India, Bhutan, and Myanmar.
Meanwhile, with financial assistance from Toledo Zoo, the Biodiversity Conservation Society Nepal (BIOCOS) has launched a conservation program in Jaljala, Muna, and Mareni of Dhawalagiri Wards 2 and 3. The red panda, which inhabits altitudes between 2,200 and 4,500 meters above sea level, has been listed by the government as an endangered species.
BIOCOS Chairman Laxman Prasad Paudel said awareness programs are being conducted in coordination with the Division Forest Office, Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve, and local governments.
“Poaching, forest fires, road expansion, and human activities pose major challenges to red panda conservation,” he said, adding that local communities, including teachers, students, women’s groups, and farmers, are being mobilized to protect the species.
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