The red panda is a smaller and more agile cousin of the giant panda and is indigenous to the eastern Himalayas. With white stripes on its face, a bushy tail and an extra thumb for climbing, this animal with a bright orange and red fur is a unique addition to wildlife and biodiversity.
A report by The Better India stated that the Red Panda lives in deciduous and conifer Himalayan forests mixed with bamboo undergrowth at an altitude of 2200 to 4800 metres. ‘The villages of Lumpo and Muchut, located just south of China’s Tibetan Autonomous Region, fall precisely within this range and hold immense importance in terms of critical biodiversity found in the region,’ it said. With habitat destruction, Jhum Cultivation that displaces forests for agricultural land, hunting, use of firewood as fuel and the remoteness of these areas, the ecosystem was being burdened leading to the loss of animals like the red panda and other fauna dependent on local plant species.

The World Wide Fund (WWF) in India has been working actively in this circuit since two decades to document the presence of this species which falls in the vulnerable category of endangered species. With the help of local villages, the progress is visible. ‘Since 1992, WWF-India has partnered with local villagers, Indian Army and Forest Department in the Western Arunachal Landscape (WAL), which covers nearly 7000 sq. km. area of Tawang and West Kameng districts, to conserve its rich biological diversity. In November 2010, three other villages - Socktsen, Kharman and Kelengteng, came together to form the Pangchen Socktsen Lakhar CCA. Together the two CCAs control 200 sq. km. of area. The wide variety of wildlife found in these forests includes the red panda. While formation of the CCAs stopped the hunting of wild animals, the continued loss of habitat posed a threat to the long term survival of the red panda. To prevent this, villagers from the two CCAs came together to form the unique Pangchen Red Panda Conservation Alliance with the support of Sir Dorabji Tata Trust and WWF-India. The aim of this community initiative is to help red panda conservation not only by banning its hunting or capture, but also by preventing the habitat loss and protecting the plant species on which it is dependent,’ said the report by WWF India.
Parthosarthi Ghosh, the Associate Landscape Coordinator, WWF, India had more to add. “By combining our findings at Pangolakha, Barsey and KNP/KBS, we have estimated the population of red pandas in Sikkim to be around 300-350. This is just a rough and conservative estimate and more surveys are needed to come up with the correct number,” he said in a WWF report in 2010.

The article by Better India also stated that the humble Monpa community of the area was using GPS tracking devices to document the flora and fauna of the area. ‘Buddhists who revere the Tawang Monastary as the fountainhead of their spiritual lives, Monpas have a rich culture and tradition of conservation. They depend largely on agriculture and livestock rearing for their livelihood and generally refrain from hunting. Both Lumpo and Muchut lie in the Tawang district and are not connected to the national electricity grid. As a result of the power supply being both limited and erratic, people are dependent on firewood for cooking and heating purposes. As a result, the unregulated felling of trees continued for a long time, until the villagers woke up to the reality that springs were drying up, rainfall was decreasing and summers were getting warmer every year,’ the article stated.
Ngawang Chotta, the Gaam Budha (village head) of Lumpo, told thethirdpole.net, “We felt the need for conservation as our generation saw the decline in numbers and species over the years as we grew up. For instance, approximately, 20 years ago, snow leopards were commonly seen around the Shagro Delemzur grazing grounds. Not anymore.”
‘The core zone is now a complete no-go area. The buffer zone has lots of oak trees and people cut these to heat their homes in the Himalayan winter. PLMCACMC plans to ban this as well once people get other fuel. It has already banned felling of trees around the 100 or so water sources in the area. “It is also proposed that a fine of INR 10,000 (USD 150) will be imposed on the violator for collecting firewood timber from the buffer zone,” Chotta said in the interview.

The article from The Third Pole that was also featured on Scroll spoke to villagers and official about the ongoing work. Dipankar Ghosh of WWF-India said, “We provided a lot of input to the draft management plan” so that the villagers’ initiative can be sustained. One option is to develop homestays — community-based tourism that enables locals to earn from those coming for a sight of the elusive red panda. The article spoke about 10 homestays that have been planned in nearby villages.
‘They have already documented the red panda, black-necked crane, musk deer, blue sheep, Monal pigeon, snow partridge, blood pigeon, leopard cat, golden cat and the Himalayan black bear. They are now making a separate list for trees and shrubs, with special focus on medicinal plants. The progress is slow but positive and the villagers believe they can win the conservation battle. Recent surveys in the last couple of years have seen increased sightings of red pandas in the region. Given the rarity of seeing a red panda in the wild, the sightings of so many red pandas, especially of the younger ones, shows the presence of a healthy breeding population. Apart from red pandas, increased sightings of Himalayan black bears, common leopards, Himalayan gorals, serows, large-eared pikas, musk deers and the famed winter guests, the black necked cranes, have also been recorded,” the article in Better India said.
Although the state government is trying to help the community by providing subsidized gas and LPG cylinders, they say they cannot touch the area as they are classified as community forests. They can be rest assured that the community is preserving the forest in more ways than one.

Feature Image Courtesy:Anil Cherukupalli, WWF India

Sourced From The Third Pole and The Better India

Words: Preksha Malu