Snow leopards & Red pandas: How to conserve Nepal’s most elusive species
Written by Wildlife & Welfare Researcher Adam Martin
As part of our July edition of the Wildlife Calendar we have been focussing on endangered species in Nepal. Two of the most elusive species are the red panda and snow leopard and we look at the conservation efforts underway to help them.
Biodiversity in Nepal
Himalayas in Nepal
Nepal is a landlocked country located in the Himalayas between China and India. Its unique geographical features lead Nepal to be incredibly rich in biodiversity, with many types of flora and fauna found there. Over 100 different ecosystems have been identified in Nepal including grasslands, marshlands and a huge variety of forests. Biodiversity is vital to Nepal’s economy - through tourism, animal & plant products, recovery from natural disasters and soil & watershed conservation among many other things.
Flora and fauna around the world are facing population declines and threats of extinction, and those of Nepal are no different. The numerous threats include loss and degradation of habitats due to the expansion of settlements, unsustainable agriculture & infrastructure, environmental pollution, poaching, and, not least, climate change. Nepal is a party to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), 1992 and has several policies for the conservation of biodiversity. Here we’ll look at what is being done to conserve two of its most iconic species.
The cryptic duo
Nepal is home to an incredible variety of animals, you can read about another two of them – the gharial and the Himalayan relict dragonfly in our Wildlife Calendar entry for July. Two of the most charismatic species the country is home to are snow leopards (Panthera unicia) and red pandas (Ailurus fulgens), however they are also incredibly hard to find, providing an immense challenge to conservationists and researchers. There are an estimated 3,500-7,000 snow leopards in the wild, of which, around 300-400 are found in Nepal which holds 30,000 km2 of potential snow leopard habitat. Prime habitat in Nepal is characterised by steep, broken mountainous habitat in alpine and sub-alpine zones (3,000-5,400m altitude) where vegetation is sparse. Here, the snow leopards live solitarily lives with large home ranges and hunt Himalayan blue sheep and other ungulates in the perilous mountain landscapes. Red pandas are mostly found in the Himalayas of eastern Nepal at altitudes around 2,000-4,200m where they mostly eat bamboo along with some other plants and occasionally fish and small animals. They are amazing tree climbers and are not closely related to the giant panda which is a bear. Instead they are genetically similar to raccoons, weasels and skunks.
Snow Leopard
Red Panda
Nepal's efforts to conserve them
Snow leopards are globally listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List and are threatened in Nepal. Particularly as a result of habitat loss, loss of prey, conflict with herders and to a lesser extent from hunting for the sale of pelt in fur trade and body parts for use in traditional Asian medicine. Red pandas are at even greater risk of extinction, listed as endangered by the IUCN. They are protected in Nepal yet they are suffering severely from habitat loss and many red panda furs are confiscated each year.
Nepal’s National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC) and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) have collaborated in recent years to provide major efforts in snow leopard conservation. There is an emphasis on creating strong local support in the surrounding communities through regular awareness camps and minimising human-wildlife conflict by providing herders with predator-proof enclosures, non-lethal predator deterrents and livestock insurance schemes. Cutting-edge science is also being used, with the total number of snow leopards now wearing satellite GPS collars rising to 8 in 2021. The collars will provided scientists with information on the leopards’ habitat, spatial behaviour and movement across borders which will all be invaluable for the future conservation of the species.
The government released a 5 year “Red Panda Conservation Action Plan for Nepal” covering 2019-2023 and detailing its aims to research, monitor, raise awareness, improve habitat and manage threats. NGOs are also vital to the conservation effort such as the Red Panda Network which was founded in 2007 and built its focus on the support and participation of local communities. The Red Panda Network uses its community-based approach to improve the species’ habitat and deter poaching, combining income-generating opportunities to bring local people on board. Their efforts have protected over 1,000,000 acres of forest in eastern Nepal, educated 23,000 students on red panda conservation each year and supported over 2,000 families with sustainable livelihood programs.
How can you help?
The fight for these two iconic species is not over and much more work is needed to arrest population declines and secure their futures. One way to help is by making a donation to one of the organisations on the front line, such as the WWF or Red Panda Network.
