2014 saw the first year that Colchester Zoo’s charity Action for the Wild supported the Red Panda Network. This project is committed to the conservation of wild Red pandas and their habitat through the education and empowerment of local communities.

Funding such as that from Action for the Wild has helped the project to gain momentum and 2014 has proved to be a successful year for the project!

Based in Nepal, staff have been working hard to educate locals. Some people who were previously poachers are now involved in the conservation of this species and some of them are serving as forest guardians.

Funding has helped to train locals in monitoring techniques as well as training them in community firefighting techniques, providing them with protective gear which will not only help protect the habitat of the Red panda but also their local community.

Many other projects set up by the Red Panda Network are also beginning to take shape, including the Roots & Shoots Group, "Youth-in-Nature", program which has now been extended to 7 new schools and more than 1,500 students are being educated on Red panda ecology and conservation.

Community-based programs like these are critical to the survival of the Red panda and Action for the Wild is pleased to have supported their work throughout 2014! 

Images provided by the Red Panda Network.