KATHMANDU, Nepal-The Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve, located at 300 kilometers far North West of Capital Kathmandu has conducted a census of the critically endangered red pandas.
In a bid to find out the exact number of this rare animal, the reserve initiated the census.
According to an official stationed at the reserve, the census will be held till mid-March and the reserve will make public the data soon after the census.
Large number of the international tourists visiting Pokhara, a tourist hub city of Nepal, also flocked to the reserve areas and the park officials are aiming to lure more tourists to watch red pandas.
The reserve could not hold the census for the long time in the past citing the lack of modern technology, however, a British organization is assisting this time for the drive. The reserve which is home to numerous endangered birds and wild animals is believed to house 3 dozens rare pandas.
Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve, spread in 512 square kilometer is the only hunting reserve of Nepal. Established in 1987, it covers three districts: Rukkum, Baglung and Myagdi in the Mt Dhaulaghiri of western Nepal.
Besides red pandas, snow leopard, musk deer and blue sheep are the key features of this reserve. Regarded as one of the endangered animals, pandas are very shy in nature.
