Where the red pandas thrive

Posted on 4 October 2024

The giant pandas are adorable. We see videos uploaded on social media, of pandas clumsily stumbling from trees as they go on about their day-to-day lives munching on bamboo shoots. But have you seen a red panda? They have the most endearing eyes. Moreover, their rusty red coat and bushy tail makes it fluffy and huggable. If there was a cute and cuddly contest between the two, it would be a tie. Their similarities, however, end there.

By Kinley Wangmo, WWF-Bhutan
The giant pandas are adorable. We see videos uploaded on social media, of pandas clumsily stumbling from trees as they go on about their day-to-day lives munching on bamboo shoots. But have you seen a red panda? They have the most endearing eyes. Moreover, their rusty red coat and bushy tail makes it fluffy and huggable. If there was a cute and cuddly contest between the two, it would be a tie. Their similarities, however, end there.
Despite the shared names and charm, the two are not related to each other. The giant panda belongs to the bear family, while the red panda is the sole living member of the family Ailuridae - a monotypic mammal family. While the panda is endemic to China, the red panda is endemic to the Eastern Himalayas, found in northeast India, Bhutan, Nepal, Burma and southwest China.
The red panda with distinct white patches on the face and the red coat has earned their name of acho dongka in Bhutan. Perhaps it is the red coat that also earns them a position of reverence among Bhutanese. Red pandas are revered as a reincarnation of Buddhist monks. While they are well known in the kingdom, sighting one in the forest is difficult. In fact, red pandas are found in 19 of the 20 districts in Bhutan and yet, we hardly ever hear of a red panda sighting. It is an elusive species.

So, when I stumbled upon a red panda, although dead, while hiking the scenic moss-covered, rhododendron flower-scattered Lungchutse trail in 2022, my first instinct was to call forestry officials. There were many questions swirling in my head – Why did it die? Was it because of old age? Or did it die of food poisoning eating leftovers discarded by hikers? Or was it a disease?

I still do not have the answer. Forestry officials did not either because of the limited testing facility. However, the enthusiastic officials were swift to respond to my call and before I completed my four-hour hike, they were on the trial to collect the dead red panda.

Around that time, the Department of Forests and Park Services was initiating the arduous but groundbreaking first ever red panda survey in Bhutan, the findings of which were launched this year on World Ranger Day, a fitting tribute to the commitment of rangers in safeguarding the wildlife in the country. There was a lot to learn about the red panda in Bhutan. To do such a survey about a decade back would have been difficult because of the arboreal (tree-living) nature of red pandas and limited non-invasive monitoring tools. Instead of relying on camera traps, rangers were trained in non-invasive fecal collection so laboratory tests could break down the genetic level to help determine the population.

The hard work of the researchers paid off with Bhutan recording at least 302 red pandas in the country. Globally, there are less than 10,000 red pandas and they are classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List. In Bhutan, the red panda is protected under Schedule II of the Forest and Nature Conservation Act of Bhutan (2023).

Now, what could put such an endearing and charismatic species on the Red List? The reasons are no different from why the tiger, elephant, or snow leopard are endangered. The red panda faces significant threats like habitat loss and fragmentation driven by human activities such as deforestation and infrastructure development or induced by climate change. Poaching remains a concern despite legal protection in countries which the red panda inhabits.

While the survey was carried out in all ten protected areas and biological corridors, which accounts for 52 percent of the country, it covered only six percent of Bhutan’s total area. About 30 percent of the Bhutan’s land area is estimated to be suitable red panda habitat.

The good news is that the red panda population is potentially much more than the 302 recorded through the survey. This establishes why Bhutan continues to be a safe haven for wildlife. The red panda thrives in Bhutan.

Additionally, the research ascertains that the red pandas use the biological corridors that connect the protected areas, reaffirming the importance of Bhutan’s biological corridors for maintaining genetic diversity and population health.

Much can be learnt from the survey findings about the endearing species – about its presence, abundance, genetic make-up, health and interaction within the ecosystem, and this knowledge can be used for ramping up conservation efforts and making informed decisions.

WWF-Bhutan, in its strategic plan (2025-2029) has listed red panda is one of the 10 flagship species. The flagship species are those of ecological and cultural significance, key to sustaining a healthy and resilient natural ecosystem.

While apex species like tiger and snow leopard take the spotlight in conservation, the importance of red panda for a healthy ecosystem cannot be discounted. Apex species help maintain prey population while species like red panda help maintain balance in their habitat through seed dispersal and regeneration.

The red panda may not be an apex predator but is sensitive to environmental changes and their presence and population indicates the health of the ecosystem.

This article was first published on Kuzuzangpo La magazine, the Bhutan Airlines inflight magazine.

Red Panda

Where the red pandas thrive

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