सिंहदरबार संवाददाता
Khotang. A red panda, considered rare in the world, has been found in the Patheka community forest area of Diktel Rupakot Majhuwagadhi Municipality-10. A team from the municipality, who went to capture photos and videos of the red panda, found the rare red panda in the Merung community forest.
The team, which entered the forest area from Chaitra 1, focusing on the Red Panda and Thar Festival that the municipality is going to organize in the coming Baisakh, found the red panda on the fourth day. A team led by Ward Chairman Madhav Rai of Diktel Rupakot Majhuwagadhi-6 has reached Merung with the aim of collecting photos and videos of the red panda, as well as conducting an on-site study on the red panda.
Ward Chairman Rai informed that the red panda was found at an altitude of 2,781 meters. According to him, the red panda was found sleeping on a tree while searching in different groups. Pallav Singh Rai, Chairman of the Merung Community Forest Users Group, informed that the red panda found was a male of about two years and six months. According to him, it is estimated that there may be about five red pandas in the forest.
Says that red pandas are divided into five types based on size and weight, and that there is a possibility of finding all five types of red pandas in the forest, said red panda watcher Pushpalal Giri. Locals have been saying that red pandas are also found in other forests, including Kopche in the municipality.
Locals say that red pandas are found more in areas where there are Malingo trees, as they especially like to eat bamboo shoots. Rai, the chairman of the Forest Users Group, mentioned that a team including Rai, the festival coordinator, Diktel Rupakot Majhuwagadh-10 ward chairman Mugadhan Rai, and ward chairman Dan Bahadur Rai of ward no. 12, have reached the forest area and started the investigation to search for the red panda.
“Previously, the red pandas were found through camera taping and the locals told us that they were directly meeting them, which also confirms that there are red pandas in the upper forest areas of Kepilasgadhi rural municipality, including the foothills of the district,” he said.
A red panda conservation campaign has been launched in the district with the active participation of community forest groups and in collaboration with various forest-related projects. Locals affiliated with various community forest groups in the foothills are especially engaged in the conservation and publicity campaign for the red pandas. .
The residents of Fedi have been putting up hoarding boards in the forest area related to red panda conservation and promotion and giving cash prizes to those who take photos and provide them. It is said that the Red Panda and Thar Festival organized by the municipality will make the ‘Mundum Trail Visit Year 2025’ more effective and help in making the long-term plan successful.
Diktel Rupakot Majhuwagadhi Municipality has stated that it is preparing to organize the Red Panda and Thar Festival as per the plan of various local levels and organizations of Khotang and Bhojpur to organize various festivals during the visit year. Local levels have announced that they will organize Honey Hunting and Gothstay Festival in Kepilasgadhi Rural Municipality, Undhaili-Umbhauli Sakela and other cultural festivals in Sakela Rural Municipality on the occasion of the Visit Nepal Year.
Similarly, preparations are underway to organize programs such as Ultra Marathon and Mountain Cycling in Bhojpur Municipality, Nachhong Dhami Literary Festival in Salpa Silichho Rural Municipality, Rudraksh Festival in Shadananda Municipality, and Chakchakur Festival in Mahakulung Rural Municipality.
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