India's Red Panda Revival Program Nominated for Prestigious Award

India's trailblazing Red Panda Conservation Breeding and Augmentation Programme, led by Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park, is in the running for the 2024 WAZA Awards. Set against efforts to restore habitats and bolster research, this initiative promises long-term conservation of red pandas in their native environment.

The World Association of Zoos and Aquariums has nominated India's Red Panda Conservation Breeding and Augmentation Programme, orchestrated by the Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park in Darjeeling, for the 2024 WAZA Conservation and Environmental Sustainability Awards. The formal declaration of the winner will take place during the 79th WAZA Annual Conference at Taronga Zoo in Sydney, Australia, on November 7.

From 2022 to 2024, nine red pandas, bred in captivity, were released into Singalila National Park, West Bengal, comprising seven females and two males. Notably, three of the released females successfully birthed five cubs in the wild, illustrating the fruitful efforts of the Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park. Collaborating with the Wildlife Wing of the West Bengal Government, the park has executed multiple habitat restoration projects in Singalila National Park and the surrounding Darjeeling area.

Engagement with institutions such as the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, and Wildlife Institute of India marks PNHZP's commitment to red panda research. Further enhancing their conservation efforts, the park operates a Biobanking and Genetic Resource Facility that preserves gametes, tissues, and DNA of red pandas and other at-risk species for future applications.

These concerted efforts lay the groundwork for enduring conservation and augmentation of red pandas in their indigenous habitats.

(With inputs from agencies.)