A quarter of the approximately 500 Red Pandas living in the wild in Nepal are native to the three eastern districts of Taplejung, Panchthar and Ilam. The breeding season for these animals is from late May to late July. In the months after, the female Red Pandas look after their offspring – but infant mortality is high. According to a study, it is as high as 86 percent.
Do not disturb
For this reason, local community groups and conservationists ensure that no humans can penetrate into the forest areas, thus the natural habitats of the Red Pandas – because the animals react sensitively to any kind of disturbance. With this measure conservationists of the Red Panda Network hope to be able to lower the mortality rate of Red Panda cubs born in the wild.
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The Kathmandu Post has a detailed, highly recommended report on the protection measures.