Population & Protections

Protecting the red panda goes hand in hand with protecting its habitat.  In the past, the dense root systems and undergrowth of Nepal's forests could be relied upon to retain moisture and slow water runoff.  Recently, however, logging and other forms of forest degradation have upset this balance and sent rich soil cascading down mountainsides with the annual monsoons.  Many Nepalese people count on the red panda's habitat for their survival, and this problem cannot disappear on its own.  For example, Langtang National Park in Nepal is considered to be an important area for red pandas, but 30,000 people live near the park and depend on its resources.  The reality is that these people are not opposed to change.  Rather, they lack viable economic alternatives.  By working directly with the people of the PIS Corridor, we aim to create a new system in which conserving the red panda's prime habitat will actually benefit the surrounding communities.

The exact size of Asia's red panda population is currently unknown, but zoos around the world have taken up the call preserve the species.  More than 80 zoos currently have red pandas, and almost all of them participate in a management program to ensure the survival of a viable zoo population.  In North America, the red panda population management program is called the Red Panda Species Survival Program (SSP).  The SSP keeps a studbook of all red pandas on the continent, determines which animals should be mated, and develops long-term research and management strategies for the species.  Other management programs have been created in Japan, Europe, Australia, and China.

Source: Red Panda: The Fire Cat by Miles Roberts (ZooGoer 21(2), 1992).