Journal of Animal Diversity

Journal of Animal Diversity

Distribution and conservation of the Red panda Ailurus fulgens F. Cuvier in the Rara National Park, Nepal

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Aastha Sharma 1
Kamal Adhikari 2
Kamal Regmi 3
1 Institute of Forestry, Kathmandu Forestry College, Kathmandu, Nepal
2 Tribhuvan University, Institute of Forestry, Hetauda Campus, Nepal
3 0009-0002-6545-1980
10.22034/JAD.2024.6.3.5
Abstract
The Red panda is an Endangered species in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. It is also listed as a protected mammal by Nepal's National Park and Wildlife Conservation Act of 1973. The present study was conducted in the Rara National Park (RNP), in mid-western Nepal (the Himalayas of Karnali Region). To determine the current distributional and conservation status of the red panda, we conducted visual surveys between September to December, 2023 along line transects (n= 13) to record species presence. We also measured habitat variables (vegetation types, waterholes, slopes/aspects, etc.) in 10x10 m2 quadrate around the species sign to characterize habitat associations and interviewed 16 key informants to assess the conservation threats. We recorded 5 red panda signs, mostly fecal pellets, within an encounter rate of 1 sign per km. The majority of signs were associated with upper temperate mixed broad-leaf forest with bamboo cover >20%, tree stump presence, and fallen logs of birch trees. Himalayan Birch Betula utilis and Brown Oak Quercus semecarpifolia are the two most common tree species near red panda signs. The distribution ranged from 2988 m to 3291 meters above mean sea level. Interviews with key informants revealed that the main conservation threats to red pandas include excessive livestock grazing and the unsustainable extraction of bamboo by local communities. Overall, our results corroborate the presence of red pandas in this national park and highlight the immediate need for further research on its population abundance and conservation actions to conserve its prime habitat.
Keywords
Distribution survey
ecology
Nepal
red panda
Rara National Park

Subjects

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Journal of Animal Diversity
Volume 6, Issue 3 - Serial Number 3
Cover photo: The Malabar Spiny Tree Mouse Platacanthomys lasiurus Blyth, 1859 (Rodentia: Platacanthomyidae), from Suryamudi, Kottiyur Wildlife Sanctuary, Kannur district., Kerala, India. Photo by Dr. Md. Jafer Palot, 23 March 2021.
Summer 2024
Pages 55-65