The Red Panda Network

Background

Red Panda Network (RPN) is the world leader in efforts to save red pandas and their habitat. They are committed to the conservation of wild red pandas and their habitat through the education and empowerment of local communities. RPN protect red pandas and their habitat using a holistic approach — they believe pandas, people, and the planet are deeply interconnected. Though they centre their work around the red panda, they believe that we cannot save them without saving their habitat and promoting sustainable livelihoods for the people who live alongside them.

Achievements and Objectives

The Red Panda Network (RPN) established the world’s first community-based monitoring programme for red pandas and their habitat through empowering, educating and engaging Nepalese local communities in red panda conservation, along with providing livelihood incentives.

One of the key initiatives contributing to the success of the programme is the Forest Guardian (FG) programme. Forest Guardians are on-the-ground partners, who are employed to monitor and protect red panda habitat and support red panda conservation through multiple activities, such as monitoring red panda populations and habitat, generating population estimates, identifying threats and developing threat mitigation strategies. They are also involved in carrying out anti-poaching patrolling and work as panda trackers during eco-trips. Each Forest Guardian also works within their respective village to build awareness of the importance of red pandas to the local ecosystem.

In 2025, Colchester Zoological Society gave a contribution of £209.87 tohelp sponsor a Forest Guardian. Currently there are 156 professional Forest Guardians with 78 community forests monitored by these guardians; the red panda holders in European Zoos provided support for 25 Guardians.

The Guardians conduct meticulous quarterly monitoring on the red panda and other species in their community forests. They walk transects, record vegetation data, and document every sign of red pandas. This data is the lifeblood of the Red Panda Network’s conservation strategy, allowing for adaptive, evidence-based protection.

The funds are used for capacity and skill-building training, supporting children and siblings with education scholarships, installing solar systems, and providing guardians with field gear and monitoring equipment. All forest guardians receive training on community-based red panda monitoring and anti-poaching patrolling, which includes training on camera trap handling, installation and data management, to enable them to monitor and establish their red panda monitoring blocks.

The Forest Guardian program provides stable employment and income in impoverished and remote areas, allowing the Guardians to support their families and invest in their children’s education. Furthermore, the programme builds expertise; the training in scientific monitoring and wildlife tracking creates highly skilled professionals. In this model, the Guardians themselves and their families become the primary economic beneficiaries of a thriving ecosystem.

Click for 2024 Summary

• In 2024, Colchester Zoological Society gave a contribution of £214.92 to help sponsor a Forest Guardian. Currently there are 126 professional Forest Guardians and, in 2024, the red panda holders in European Zoos provided support for 25 of these.
• The funds are used for capacity and skill-building training, supporting children and siblings with education scholarships, installing solar systems, and providing guardians with field gear and monitoring equipment.
• All forest guardians receive training on community-based red panda monitoring and anti-poaching patrolling, which includes training on camera trap handling, installation and data management, to enable them to monitor and establish red panda monitoring blocks.
• This support benefits not only the red pandas, but provides employment and development within the local community, giving them a sense of pride in protecting this endangered species, with income generated from sustainable means.