Staff Reporter
RUPA, 18 Jul: Conservation efforts by the Tukpen Community Reserve (TCR) have led to the first-ever sighting of a rare red panda (Ailurus fulgens) in Gwanthang, located between Rupa and Thongre village in West Kameng district.
TCR chairman Dorjee Phuntso Thongdok and its secretary Dorjee Khandu Khrimey, thrilled over the sighting of this endangered species, promptly coordinated with the Shergaon Forest Division to monitor the situation. They circulated messages among villagers to ensure the animal’s safety and to prevent any human interference that could disturb it.
Neten Dorjee Thongdok, a local resident who spotted the red panda alongside a TCR protection squad, immediately informed the community.
Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary Range Forest Officer Yachang Kani commended the effort, stating, “The awareness created by the TCR and the Forest Department’s intervention have fostered a conducive environment for such a sighting in the lower ridges.”
“Typically, red pandas are found in the higher ridges of the Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary. This sighting is significant, and with the reserve providing a safe haven, such sightings may become more common in the future,” he added.
Notified on 11 December, 2024, the TCR encompasses the community lands of 14 villages. The reserve has deployed a protection squad to monitor its jurisdiction, in collaboration with the Forest Department.
Local MLA Tseten Chombay lauded the community’s commitment to conserving the region’s rich biodiversity. He assured that technical and logistical support would be provided through various conservation programmes.
He further called for collaborating with the local communities to promote conservation awareness and involve them in monitoring red panda populations.
