The red panda ( Ailurus fulgens ) is the only living member of the genus Ailurus . Although once widely distributed in Eurasia in the past, it now inhabits the temperate forests of the eastern Himalayas with fewer than 10,000 individuals in the wild. It is listed as “endangered” on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.
As a solitary, cryptic, and territorial arboreal mammal, the red panda is difficult to study in the wild. Using GPS telemetry, a team of scientists from the University of Queensland, the University of Southern Queensland and the Red Panda Network monitored 10 red pandas and documented their lives using camera traps over 12 months in eastern Nepal.
camera trap monitoring
This animal feeds almost exclusively on bamboo and habitat loss and fragmentation are the main threats to the conservation of the red panda.
“Our research findings show that current patterns of habitat fragmentation and logging, from infrastructure projects such as new roads, are putting the red panda under greater threat,” says Damber Bista, a research fellow at the College of Agriculture. and Food Sciences at the University of Queensland and leader of the work published by the journal Landscape Ecology.
“Because of this, red pandas are changing their activity to minimize their interactions with disturbances, such as humans, dogs or livestock, and this is drastically interfering with natural interactions between the animals, resulting in population isolation.”
In their study, the researchers observed that human settlements, roads, trails, and livestock grazing activities were present throughout the year in the vicinity of the red panda’s natural habitat. Six females and four males were fitted with GPS collars.
The findings of this study show the fragmentation of their habitat, along with a previous study on the impacts of poaching. “I am worried about the future of this species,” said the expert. “While red pandas can adapt to habitat impacts to some extent, they may be susceptible to local extinction under these conditions, putting the broader population of the species at risk.”
“As the availability of suitable forest shrinks, it’s up to the red panda to weigh its options on how best to survive,” Bista continues. “This trade-off may lead to increased risk of mortality and population decline in the long term .”
Referencia: D. Bista et al. 2022. Effect of disturbances and habitat fragmentation on an arboreal habitat specialist mammal using GPS telemetry: a case of the red panda. Landsc Ecol 37, 795-809; doi: 10.1007/s10980-021-01357-w
