Context:
The Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park in Darjeeling has recently welcomed two red pandas from the Netherlands.
Red Panda (Ailurus fulgens):
- Despite sharing a common name, red pandas are not closely related to giant pandas.
- State Animal of Sikkim.
- Subspecies in India:
- Himalayan Red Panda (Ailurus fulgens).
- Chinese Red Panda (Ailurus styani).
- Siang River in Arunachal Pradesh separates these two subspecies.
- Distribution:
- Found in Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, and Nepal.
- Approximately 50% of their habitat lies in the Eastern Himalayas.
- Features:
- Colour: Reddish-brown fur helps them blend in with their forest environment.
- Arboreal: Excellent climbers, spending much of their time in trees.
- Diet:
- Primarily herbivorous.
- Bamboo makes up the majority of their diet.
- Behaviour:
- Red pandas are primarily solitary, coming together only for mating and raising young.
- Ecological Role:
- Serve as an indicator species for ecological changes.
- Help to disperse seeds and control bamboo growth.
- Important prey species for larger predators such as snow leopards.
- Threats:
- Habitat loss due to the decline of nesting trees and bamboo in the Eastern Himalayas.
- Protection Status:
- IUCN Red List: Endangered.
- CITES: Appendix I.
- Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule I.
About Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park (PNZP)
- Location: West Bengal (Darjeeling)
- Specialization: Breeding animals adapted to alpine conditions.
- Successful programs for species such as snow leopards, Himalayan wolves, and red pandas.
- Role in Conservation:
- Pivotal role in red panda conservation and breeding efforts in India.
- Houses a Biobanking and Genetic Resource Facility for preserving gametes, tissues, and DNA of endangered species.
- Red Panda Release Program:
- Initiated a program to release 20 red pandas into the wild within five years.
- Releases set to occur in Singalila National Park, the highest national park in West Bengal, located on Singalila Ridge in Darjeeling.
Source: IE
Previous Year Question
Which one of the following protected areas is well-known for the conservation of a sub-species of the Indian swamp deer (Barasingha) that thrives well on hard ground and is exclusively graminivorous?
[UPSC Civil Services Exam – 2020 Prelims]
(a) Kanha National Park
(b) Manas National Park
(c) Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary
(d) Tal Chhapar Wildlife Sanctuary
Answer: (a)