A red panda (Habre) has been found in the Jaljala area of ​​Rolpa. Locals have found a red panda in the forest of Jelbang under the Jaljala area. The red panda is considered a rare wildlife species in the world.

Tourism entrepreneur and photojournalist Balkuram Pun said that the red panda was found playing in the forest. 'The red panda was seen in the forest near the famous tourist and protected area of ​​Jaljala. I managed to take photos and videos of the red panda playing,' he said.

After the red panda was seen in the forest on Friday, he said that he went closer and observed it. 'I have heard many times that there is a red panda in the Jaljala area, but I had never seen it directly. This time I was lucky enough to see it very closely. A dream came true. It is believed that the red panda is still in Rolpa. It is necessary to protect it, it is necessary to protect the habitat of the red panda in this area. The red panda is our great asset,' said Pun.

The area where the red panda was found is about 3,000 meters above sea level.

There is abundant Himalayan bamboo and tea in that area, which is the main food of the red panda. The mountainous parts of Rolpa, including the water bodies of Lumbini Province, are established as the habitat of the red panda. The Red Panda Network has been searching for the red panda in the water bodies of Rolpa, Gam, Jelbang, Thabang, Uwa and various high hilly areas of Rukum East. A project is also being run to search for the red panda in those areas. The local level has also made important plans to focus on the conservation and promotion of the red panda. The Lumbini Province Ministry of Tourism and Forest and Environment has also put forward a plan.

A pair of red pandas was first found in Rolpa in 2072. Since then, a search and conservation program has been launched. With the support of the Red Panda Network, a local NGO, Human Rights Awareness Center (HUREK), has launched a program to conserve the world's rarest wildlife red panda in the upper reaches of Upper Rolpa. Like the first, the project 'Community-Based Red Panda (Habre) Conservation Project-2' has been launched for the second time with the financial support of the Red Panda Network.

The program has been launched in most places in Sunchhahari Rural Municipality in East Rolpa. In the first phase, the program was launched in Dolpa, Rukum East and Rukum West along with Rolpa. Similarly, the program was launched in Rolpa Municipality, Thabang, Sunchhahari, Gangadev and Parivartan Rural Municipality.

The second phase of the project, which has been completed for two years and has 3 years remaining, will run for 5 years. There is a program to research and monitor the location of red pandas, develop public awareness, manage habitats, and promote sustainable livelihood programs for locals. The program aims to involve locals in protecting red pandas by raising public awareness in 5 community forests and 2 schools in Sunchhahari Rural Municipality.

A few years ago, the police had taken some people from Dang and Pyuthan into custody along with stolen red panda skins from this area. The police have stated that red pandas are being hunted and smuggled into the area. The Red Panda Network spent 1.5 million in the initial period of the project, while 3.9 million in the first year of the second phase.

A pair of red pandas was found for the first time in Rolpa in the first week of Magh 2072 in a village in East Rolpa. Man Bahadur Budha, 59, and his wife Lahri Budha, 50, of the village had kept a pair of red pandas they found in the forest at home for some time. The red panda pair was taken to the Central Zoo in Jawalakhel for conservation at the initiative of the District Forest Office. The red pandas that were found weighed more than 2 kg. After the young red pandas were found, the Lahri couple fed the pair of red pandas with goat, cow, and buffalo milk to raise them.