Survey of Red Pandas

Gangtok: A survey of red pandas across seven sanctuaries of Sikkim began today as the government tries to get, for the first time, an official estimate of the population of the state animal and develop a long-term conservation plan.

The red panda is classified as an endangered species by the World Conservation Union (IUCN).

The state forest wildlife and environment management department has joined hands with WWF, the global conservation organisation, for the red panda project, which will cover, among others, Khangchendzonga National Park and Barsey Wildlife Sanctuary.

Kitam Wildlife Sanctuary in South Sikkim has been left out of the exercise because there is little chance of finding red pandas in the dry forest comprising mainly sal trees.

Two teams from the forest department and the WWF today reached Fambonglo Wildlife Sanctuary in East Sikkim for the survey.

Assistant conservator of forests Mani Ram Subba will question people living on the periphery of the sanctuary about sightings of red panda, said divisional forest officer (wildlife) Karma Legshey.

Priyadarshani Shrestha, the senior programme officer of the Sikkim unit of WWF, said the survey aims to come up with an approximate number of red pandas in Sikkim. No such official survey has ever been conducted in the state.

The teams will also collect data on the state’s food resources for the red panda (it feeds mainly on bamboo) and possible locations were reserves can be set up for its conservation.

Source: The Telegraph