Forest Guardians are local people who are paid to monitor and protect red panda habitat, as well as educate communities. The payment they receive supports their families and their experience as a Forest Guardian® helps them build capacity for sustainable income and environmental stewardship.
People, like you, who support RPN's work on a monthly basis are known as Panda Guardians.
Join the Panda Guardian team of monthly donors today!
Forest Guardians work in western Nepal
Total number of Forest Guardians
Forest Guardians work in eastern Nepal
Thank You To Our Organizational Sponsors!
Rupan Tamang
Age: 29
Location: Lungrupa, Panchthar district
Community Forest: Makaibari Thulodund
Forest Guardian since: 2014
Rupan is passionate about saving red pandas through ecotourism.
Sponsored by:
Bimala Moktan
Location: Prangbung, Panchthar district
Community Forest: Jaljale
Forest Guardian since: 2015
“The need to save our forests and the wildlife that lives there is no longer deniable.” Read more in Nobody Ever Said, “Saving Red Pandas is Easy”
Sponsored by:
Ramesh Rai
Age: 39
Location: Sidin, Panchthar district
Community Forest: Kanya Devi
Forest Guardian since: 2014
Ramesh enjoys anti-poaching and is intersted in learning about camera traps. He is also a farmer who supplies organic vegetables to his village. Ramesh loves teaching his children about red pandas.
Sponsored by:
Ngima Dawa Sherpa
Location: Maimajhuwa, Ilam district
Community Forest: Padma Sambhaw
Forest Guardian since: 2014
Ngima has been instrumental in a number of projects including mammal camera trapping in the PIT corridor, Plant A Red Panda Home, and our GPS-satellite collar study as a red panda tracker.
Sponsored by:
Kalpana Rokaya
Age: 19
Location: Mudkechula, Dolpa district
Community Forest: Aahale Narehung
Forest Guardian since: 2021
Kalpana was one of the first women to be hired as Forest Guardians in western Nepal's Dolpa district.
Sponsored by:
Surat Kumar Rai
Age: 48
Location: Memeng, Panchthar district
Community Forest: Aahale Narehung
Forest Guardian since: 2014
Surat enjoy conducting community surveys and attending capacity building training.
Sponsored by:
Prem Dorjee Sherpa
Location: Jogmai, Ilam district
Community Forest: Chipchipe
Forest Guardian since: 2014
Prem is a motivated Forest Guardian who is involved in numerous activities from installing camera traps to collecting red panda pellets for s genetic study.
Sponsored by:
Surya Bhattarai
Location: Mamangkhe, Taplejung district
Community Forest: Sudap Khola
Forest Guardian since: 2014
Surya has been trained in forest fire management. He also led awareness workshops in his community and ecotrips, collected red panda pellets for genetic research and was involved in
Chinese pangolin research.
Sponsored by:
Shanti Malla
Location: Mahawai, Kalikot district
Community Forest: Himkalika
Forest Guardian since: 2017
“We protect forests and wildlife for our children. If there are no trees, there is no life.” Read more in No Trees, No Red
Pandas—No life.
Sponsored by:
Som Bahadur Rai
Age: 51
Location: Memeng, Panchthar district
Community Forest: Aahale Narehung
Forest Guardian since: 2017
Som is interested in politics so he can help support sustainable development and red panda conservation in Panchthar district.
Sponsored by:
Shanti Budha
Location: Mudkechula, Dolpa district
Community Forest: Nagdunga
Forest Guardian since: 2021
Shanti is a member of a local mother group and is involved in conservation awareness campaigns and advocacy efforts, red panda monitoring, and anti-poaching.
Sponsored by:
Surendra Kumar Bantawa Rai
Age: 29
Location: Sidin, Panchthar district
Community Forest: Kanya Devi
Forest Guardian since: 2014
Surendra has been involved in anti-poaching and red panda collar study. His daughter has received two red panda conservation scholarships!
Sponsored by:
Ramesh Rai
Age: 33
Location: Chyangthapu, Panchthar district
Community Forest: Sunakhari
Forest Guardian since: 2014
Ramesh has seen numerous red pandas in the forest he works in. He was once the secretary of Sunakhari Community Forest.
Sponsored by:
Chandra Bir Rai
Location: Prangbung, Panchthar district
Community Forest: Kanya Devi
Forest Guardian since: 2014
Chandrahas been involved in installing camera traps and collecting red panda pellets for s genetic study.
Sponsored by:
Bishal Gurung
Location: Jamuna, Ilam district
Community Forest: Choyatar
Forest Guardian since: 2017
Bishal is the youngest male member of the Forest Guardian team in the Panchthar-Ilam-Taplejung (PIT) corridor of eastern Nepal. He is interested in wildlife photography and ecotourism.
Sponsored by:
Arpan Rai
Location: Maimajhuwa, Ilam district
Community Forest: Santapur
Forest Guardian since: 2022
Arpan is very upbeat and skilled in technologies such as GPS and camera trap operation. He is involved in red panda habitat monitoring and anti-poaching patrolling, and conducting dog surveys. Arpan enjoys tracking red pandas in the wild and aspires to be a nature guide and involved in ecotourism.
Sponsored by:
Forest Guardians available for Sponsorship!
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Location: Puwamajhuwa, Ilam district
Community Forest: Kalpokhari Thamdanda
Forest Guardian since: 2017
Pasang is in his 50s but is very energetic and motivated than many of the younger FGs. He is happy to share his wison and insight and eith our members of the team.
Sponsor this FG here! Please enter the name of the FG you would like to sponsor in the comments section of the donation form.
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Location: Maimajhuwa, Ilam district
Community Forest: Chintapu
Forest Guardian since: 2021
Manju is part of a growing group female FGs. She has a three-year-old daughter who she wants to inspire to pursue her dreams. Manju believes that women in rural Nepal can advance beyond the barriers of gender inequality and make a huge impact on the world. Sustainable llivelihood opportunities like the FG program are important for women in Nepal.
Sponsor this FG here! Please enter the name of the FG you would like to sponsor in the comments section of the donation form.
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Location: Khewang, Ilam district
Community Forest: Ekchane Kholme
Forest Guardian since: 2017
Prabin is a father of two who appreciates RPN's education scholarships initiative for children of FGs. He loves sharing stories of his experience monitoring and protecting red panda habitat with his children.
Sponsor this FG here! Please enter the name of the FG you would like to sponsor in the comments section of the donation form.
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Location: Jamuna, Ilam district
Community Forest: Choyatar
Forest Guardian since: 2014
Shyam believes that community and youth engagement and collaboration can change the world. He is interested in Non-Timber Forest Product (NTFPs) cultivation and bird surveys (he finds bird surveying therapeutic). Shyam is also involved in habitat monitoring, pangolin survey, camera trapping and red panda pellet collection.
Sponsor this FG here! Please enter the name of the FG you would like to sponsor in the comments section of the donation form.
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Location: Jamuna, Ilam district
Community Forest: Hangetham
Forest Guardian since: 2020
Bhim is motivated to learn about camera traps and habitat restoration. He is also looking forward to receiving a red panda conservation education scholarship for his children.
Sponsor this FG here! Please enter the name of the FG you would like to sponsor in the comments section of the donation form.
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Location: Puwamajhuwa, Ilam district
Community Forest: Kalpokhari Thamdanda
Forest Guardian since: 2017
Rak has been actively involved in red panda monitoring, anti-poaching patrolling, community surveys, and restoration programs and is interested in managing Forest Conservation Nurseries.
Sponsor this FG here! Please enter the name of the FG you would like to sponsor in the comments section of the donation form.
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Location: Ilam district
Community Forest: Pyang Patal
Forest Guardian since: 2014
Arjun is a star member of our team. He started as a FG but has advanced to the role of Field Technician. He is exceptional at many FG tasks including habitat monitoring and camera trapping and has been involved in anti-poaching patrolling, habitat restoration, and as a nature guide.
Sponsor this FG here! Please enter the name of the FG you would like to sponsor in the comments section of the donation form.
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Location: Khewang, Taplejung district
Community Forest: Ekchane Kholm
Forest Guardian since: 2020
Rajesh has to hike at least six hours to reach core red panda habitat from his village. Despite the long hike Rajesh continues to conduct regular forest patrols in his community forest. He is dedicated to helping RPN stop the illegal red panda trade in his village.
Sponsor this FG here! Please enter the name of the FG you would like to sponsor in the comments section of the donation form.
Interested in sponsoring a Forest Guardian? Please contact Terrance Fleming, Deputy Director, at (877) 854-2391 Ext. 101 or terrance@redpandanetwork.org
Learn more in these News articles!
First Forest Guardians in New Red Panda Conservation Districts
Habre Guff-Gaff: Conversing Red Panda Conservation
Findings from the First-Ever Red Panda Collar Study
Human Lives Transformed Through Red Panda Conservation
Press Release: Ten Red Pandas Collared in Nepal For
Groundbreaking Study
