Project Update: July 2009

In and around the project area six conservation outreach programmes were conducted for target groups such as community forest user groups, community leaders, school teachers, students, herders, youth and mothers groups. Topics like general introduction to red panda, conservation/ legal status, distribution, threats, conservation importance and our role and responsibility in red panda conservation were incorporated. A total of 286 people participated in the programme among them 63 were from different community groups and 223 school students. Three Red Panda Conservation Committees (RPCC) were formed namely Sallathan Red Panda Conservation Committee in Sallanthan, Women Red Panda Conservation Group in Pakhathar and Liligurans Red Panda Conservation Committee in Chhentung with the aim of performing different community based conservation activities such as anti-poaching and control of fuel wood/timber/ringal bamboo collection and over grazing in Red Panda habitat.

Few copies of flex posters and 1000 copies of brochures entitle Conserve Endangered Red Panda and Its Habitat were developed in simple Nepali language covering general introduction and biology, threats, legal/distribution status and government laws, and conservation challenges.

An art competition on Red Panda and essay competitions entitled Red Panda and Challenges in Conservation were also conducted in the schools (Jyoti-Bikash primary school- Dhorpatan, Gyanodaya secondary school- Bobang and Shivalaya secondary school- Adhikarichaur) that are located within the Hunting Reserve and its buffer zone area. Total of 121 students participated in the art competition and 102 in the essay competition. To meet the interest of students in red panda conservation a Nature Conservation Group (NCG) was formed in Shivalaya Secondary school with the aim to involve the youth in conservation activities.