A new survey of wildlife using camera traps in a rural area of central Nepal has confirmed the presence of an adorable, ecologically important animal.
The Himalayan reported that the camera traps captured footage of potentially dozens of red pandas in the Dhaualagiri Rural Municipality in Myagdi. Members of the Nepal Biodiversity Conservation Society set up the cameras to corroborate reported sightings by locals.
“The cameras were placed after spotting red panda droppings during a monthlong field study,” Pawan Rai, a program officer at NBCS, said. “Our findings suggest that between six and 25 red pandas inhabit this region.”
Red pandas are much smaller than their giant Chinese namesakes, but they did take the name 48 years earlier, so they can claim to be the “original” pandas. The moniker is derived from a Nepalese term meaning “bamboo eater.” The red panda more than lives up to that name; it eats up to 4 pounds of bamboo daily, fulfilling an important ecological role in containing the rapidly growing plant.
About the size of a house cat, red pandas are found in the mountainous rainforests of Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, and Nepal. According to a National Geographic profile, they are excellent climbers and spend most of their lives in trees, evading predators, eating, and sleeping. With a double-layered coat, they are perfectly suited for the chilly weather of their preferred habitats. Unfortunately, these animals have suffered a huge population decline, about 50%, in the last 20 years.
The main threats to the red panda are habitat loss and hunting. They are hunted for their fur but also get caught in traps meant for other creatures. One of the priorities for red panda conservation is working with locals to raise awareness of how they can live in harmony near people.
The survey underscores how important trail cameras are for conservation work performed worldwide. Cameras can catch what the human eye misses, and it’s much easier to plant a camera than it is to deploy a field worker, not to mention less distressing for wildlife. By establishing the presence and habits of a species in a given area, effective strategies for protecting it are possible.
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