RPN HAS LAUNCHED THE LARGEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE EFFORT TO STOP THE ILLEGAL RED PANDA TRADE.
We kicked off this campaign on September 11th in Western Nepal with a two-day Wildlife Crime Control workshop in Jajarkot district. On Saturday, September 15th—International Red Panda Day—we organized the same event in Jumla district.
50 people participated in the two workshops including personnel from National Intelligence Department, Armed Police Force, Nepal Police, Divisional Forest Offices, District Administration Office, Community Forest User Groups, RPN Forest Guardians, and local media.
Day 1
Staff from RPN and Wildlife Crime Control division of Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation co-facilitated the workshops. Participants learned about biodiversity and why it is important to maintain it. They were introduced to red pandas and why the survival of this endangered species is critical to Himalayan biodiversity.
Workshop participants were familiarized with CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) and the Checklist of CITES Species, which provides the official list of CITES-listed species (scientific names) and their associated scientific synonyms and common names.
The first day of the workshops concluded with a brief lesson on the history of wildlife conservation in Nepal, as well as an overview of RPN's community-based approach.
Day 2
RPN and WCC instructors introduced attendees to Nepal's trafficked and poached species. They then provided all available information on the illegal red panda trade industry in Nepal including major trafficking routes, supply chain and demand sources.
Workshop participants were educated on the national laws for implementing CITES.
They were informed of the Forest and National Park laws that will aid them in protecting red pandas and their habitat. The final lesson was regarding the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) and their significant role in anti-poaching.
RPN would like to thank all supporters of our efforts to stop the illegal red panda trade. We will continue to keep you updated on our progress. Learn more here.
