SAVE THE RED PANDA
Conservation Agencies
What People are Doing to Help
The Red Panda is included in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES, 2015) Appendix I. It also is listed in Schedule I of the Indian WildLife Protection Act 1972, which is the highest protection possible for any species in India. It is also protected in Bhutan, China and is classed as a Category II species under the Wild Animal Protection Law by the Wildlife Act of 1994. In China, the species is Red Listed nationally as Vulnerable under Act A2. There are also two main forest preservation programs! The Natural Forest Protection Program, which aims to protect and regenerate forests; and the Grain-for-Green Program, which transforms cropland back into forest where animals such as the Red Panda can live once again.The Grain-for-Green Grain for Green has involved 124 million people in 1,897 counties in 25 provinces. The program was set to end 8 years after it initially began, but was extended for another 8 years in 2013. By 2015, around 15 million hectares of farmland and 17 million hectares of barren mountainous wasteland were converted back to natural vegetation All of the agencies are doing their best to help protect the red panda from becoming even more endangered than it already is (Claudio Delang, 2016).
What we Have Protected so Far
In Myanmar, the red panda can be found in Hkakaborazi National Park, Hponkanrazi Wildlife Sanctuary and Emaw Bum proposed National Park (Rainforest Trust, 2019). It is difficult to determine how much of the Red Panda’s range in the country these protected areas cover. Hunting and Logging can be problems within these protected areas, especially in Emaw Bum. In Bhutan the red panda can be found in the following protected areas: Jigme Dorji, Thrumshingla and Jigme Singye Wangchuck National Parks, Bumdeling and Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuaries, Torsa Strict Nature Reserve. It has also been recorded in the Royal Botanical Park, Khaling Wildlife Sanctuary and Wangchuck Centennial Park. China has less protected areas for the red panda, as there is less available space and they need the space for their huge logging industry.
Doing Your Part
A great first step is visiting conservation websites such as the Pegasus Foundation https://www.pegasusfoundation.org/saving-red-panda/ or to learn how you can make an impact. There are donations you can make and petitions you can sign to stop poaching and logging in these affected areas. Also, if you do your research and feel inclined to do so, you can write a draft of a law and propose it to the National People’s Congress in China. There are many ways to contribute, and you just have to decide which method would work best for you!