Communities in frontline in red panda conservation, eastern Nepal

The national red panda Ailurus fulgens survey of 2016 shows that nearly 70% of the total red panda habitat in Nepal falls outside the protected areas (MoFSC 2016). Conservation interventions targeting this endangered species are minimal across most of its range which are either being managed by Community Forest User Groups (CFUGs), or directly by the District Forest Office and their field units.