According to the National Red Panda Survey Report 2023, there are over 300 red pandas in the country. The survey, the first of its kind, was carried out by the Department of Forests and Park Services. The report was released today in the capital, coinciding with the World Ranger Day. Nearly fifty per cent of the red panda habitat is in the Eastern Himalayas, including Bhutan. Red pandas are considered endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, the organisation that determines the conservation status of plant and animal species.
According to the National Red Panda Survey Report 2023, red pandas were found in nineteen districts, except for Pema Gatshel.
In the survey’s sampling areas, the highest numbers were spotted in the Jigme Khesar Strict Nature Reserve with 42 red pandas, followed by the Jigme Dorji National Park with 39 and the Wangdue Forest Division with 33 pandas.
A red panda is slightly larger than a domestic cat with a bear-like body, thick rusty-red fur and a bushy tail.
“Red pandas are usually very shy and they are a carnivore. Their main diet consists of bamboo. They like eating young shoots of bamboo. They are arboreal, they like to be on trees,” said Tashi Dhendup, deputy chief forestry officer at Nature Conservation Division.
According to the survey report, red pandas in the country face numerous threats. Free-roaming dogs can attack them and spread diseases like rabies and canine distemper, which are harmful to red pandas.
They also face threats from habitat loss due to logging and agriculture. Additionally, they are hunted for their fur.
Moreover, climate change is impacting species worldwide and with fewer than 10,000 red pandas left in the wild, they are not spared from these impacts.
Despite these challenges, the Department of Forests and Park Services is working on conservation efforts to protect red pandas.
“Currently, we have a National Red Panda Action Plan which just expired this year and we need to redo that again. The action plan is very important because it guides conservation action for the species for the next five or ten years. The findings from this survey will help a lot in informing what kind of activities or interventions we require for red panda conservation,” added Tashi Dhendup.
He added that the presence of 302 red pandas indicates a healthy, balanced environment, which is crucial for biodiversity.
“Red panda is a very charismatic and it can be considered as an indicator species. As an indicator species, we can understand the status of a particular habitat or ecosystem by seeing whether you have red pandas or not. If there are red pandas it means that things are going well, there is enough protection, and there is a very optimum habitat for wildlife.”
According to the report, 28.58 of the country’s area is predicted to be a potential red panda habitat in the country.
Kinzang Lhadon
Edited by Sonam Pem
