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Threats

Habitat destruction is the biggest threat facing red pandas today.  In eastern Nepal, there are six negative land management practices that threaten the survival of the species:

1. Cash Cropping: Agricultural intensification over the past 15 years has created a need for more land. Land that used to lay fallow is now used for purposes such as tea or cardamom fields and fodder growth. Some private forests have been cut and replaced with cardamom monocultures of uttis (Alnus nepalensis) upper canopy and cardamom understory. The fields are also sprayed with insecticides to ensure proper yields.

2. Fodder and Firewood: An increasing trend toward dairies has fueled the demand for fodder, and the plant that is most commonly used for this purpose is malingo, a small bamboo that is the red panda's main food source. Another negative effect of dairies is their exorbitant use of firewood. Although they have money to pay for firewood privileges, dairies in the region have been known to cut more than they are allotted.

3. Timber: The preferred material for home construction has changed from stone, mud, and bamboo to timber. A prosperous household can now afford to buy timber from Community Forests.

4. Medicinal Plants: A strong medicinal plant trade and the creation of Singhalila National Park (SNP) on the Indian side in 1992 have depleted the medicinal plant populations due to over-harvesting. (photo: www.eci.ox.ac.uk)

5. Hunting: Fortunately, the creation of the SNP has led to a decrease in hunting. Rimbick, an Indian village on the perimeter of the park, was once the hub for the international red panda trade. According to locals, 47 red pandas were sold in one year from this village to stock the zoos of the world.

6. Grazing: According to local community forest managers, the most devastating use of the forest today is grazing. Before the creation of SNP in 1992, over 300 Goths, or temporary cattle herding stations, were located within the park's current boundaries. Although the SNP staff forced cattle herders to leave, many of the Indian herders sold their cattle to Nepalese herders who continue to heavily overgraze the PIS Corridor using chauri (yak-hill cow hybrids). This has led to the degradation of once-pristine Silver fir (Abies spectabilis) forests, the preferred habitat of the red panda. (photo: home.earthlink.net/~l_keenan)

The other main threat to red pandas is illegal hunting.  Red pandas are sometimes killed for their coats, which trappers use to make hats and clothing.

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