The population of Red Pandas is decreasing due to habitat loss and fragmentation, predation by dogs, hunting for wildlife trade, weak law enforcement, grazing, and inadequate conservation awareness. Despite the Red Panda being protected in Nepal under the National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act, very few individuals remain in the wild in Nepal. In addition, limited people know about its conservation importance or legal status, which undermines conservation efforts. Red Panda is suffering continued population decline where limited conservation efforts and low public awareness about the species and its imperiled status are barriers to building effective local conservation. Although there are growing efforts to understand the ecology of Red Panda, public awareness remains low. In this context, this project aims to implement and evaluate conservation education interventions in Gaurishankar Conservation Area.

Partner: The Rufford Foundation and Gaurishankar Conservation Area (NTNC)

Project period: 2021-2022