Red Panda Study Centre established

By Chandra Pandak

Taplejung, Apr 18 : A Red Panda Study and Research Centre has been set up at Deurali near Suketar, a tourist area of ​​Taplejung.

The district-based Himalayan Conservation Forum and the Red Panda Network have built the Red Panda Study and Research Centre at Deurali Community Forest in Handewa, Phungling Municipality-9. The centre has been set up to study and research biodiversity and wildlife, said Ramesh Rai, programme coordinator of the Himalayan Conservation Forum. 

According to Rai, structures including buildings have been constructed at a total cost of Rs. 1.57 million. 

Rai informed that the physical infrastructure has been constructed with the financial support of Red Panda Network and the facilitation of the forum. Organic construction materials have been used for the construction as it is an environmentally-friendly structure, he said.

According to Amrit Bhattarai, project supervisor of construction company SNP, environment-friendly raw materials and locally produced materials have been used in the construction of the structure.

Bhattarai said that a mixture of dung, ash, eggshell, pure mustard oil, lime, clay and straw was used in the construction of the resource centre. He said that these materials will make the structure environment-friendly as well as strong, durable and weather-friendly. At present, the construction work of the building is about 99 per cent complete and it is said that it will be operational soon.

It is believed that the establishment of the centre will help in the conservation of forests and rare wildlife, said Nimakriya Sherpa, chairperson of Deurali Inner Community Forest Users Group.

Sherpa said that the centre has been set up with the objective of increasing the income of the consumer group by conserving local biodiversity, promoting environment-friendly services, and utilizing tourism with good use. He said that there is also a plan to develop it as an exhibition centre for the protected species including rare red panda 

and herbs.