Red panda conservation in Nepal can be key ecotourism in the high Himalayas. Here’s how

Communities are the heart of any biodiversity conservation activities and their role is crucial for the success of any programme. We realised it more while spending a week in Sandakpur of Ilam and watching red pandas , which made our trip a satisfying one.

Red pandas are endangered species legally protected in India, Bhutan, China, Nepal and Myanmar; that was not new information for us. But, we came to know about the community-based red panda conservation projects of the Red Panda Network in Nepal. In 2007, it initiated a project Punde Kundo, believed to be the world’s first community-based red panda conservation project in eastern Nepal.