Red Panda PHVA workshop participants

A Population and Habitat Viability Assessment (PHVA) Workshop for the Red Panda (Ailurus fulgens) in India was held from 26-29 November 2013 at Siliguri, West Bengal. This PHVA incorporated elements of the IUCN Species Conservation Strategy approach into the workshop process developed by the Conservation Breeding Specialist Group (CBSG). The workshop was organized by Rotterdam Zoo of The Netherlands, the Central Zoo Authority, and Zoo Outreach Organization of Coimbatore, India. It was hosted by Darjeeling Zoo, West Bengal. The PHVA was facilitated by a joint team of CBSG South Asia (Dr. Sanjay Molur) and CBSG Europe (Dr. Kristin Leus). Funding was provided by the Central Zoo Authority, the Rotterdam Zoo Conservation Fund and WWF Germany. Workshop participants included representatives of three range countries – India, Nepal and Bhutan as well as from Europe. The vision expressed by the participants was to “Secure, viable populations of Red Panda thriving in contiguous natural habitats across the eastern Himalayan sacred landscape; a valued flagship species for the region living in harmony with and benefitting the people”.

In India, Red Panda's are found in Darjeeling, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh. The aim of the workshop was to identify habitats, distribution ranges, degree of fragmentation and threats to Red Panda's in India and the border areas of Nepal and Bhutan and to develop a strategy to conserve them in natural habitats in these areas. The participants utilized information on habitat characteristics, identified and ranked threats, used simulation models conducted in an earlier Red Panda PHVA in Nepal in 2010, and reviewed methods and strategies for Red Panda conservation.

The report is being finalized and a team of editors from the range states will be finalizing the results within the next three months. The results of the Red Panda PHVA is expected to form the action plan for conservation action on the ground involving predominantly in situ conservation strategies and employing, where necessary and appropriate, ex situ expertise and strategies.

ZOO's PRINT Jan 2014.