Red panda spotted in Olanchungola of Taplejung

By Our Correspondent

Taplejung, Nov. 12: A rare red panda has been sighted in the Olanchungola region of Taplejung. The red panda was spotted in the Jomgim area of Faktanglung Rural Municipality-7, close to the China border.

Local Tashi Sherpa discovered the red panda and shared videos and photos of it on social media. According to locals, it has been a long time since a red panda was last seen in the Olanchungola area.

Tenzing Walung, another local, said that red pandas used to be commonly seen in Olanchungola in the past. This recent sighting was made in the Jomgim area, just below the main settlement of Olanchungola.

Locals hope that the presence of red pandas will boost tourism, as Olanchungola is already known as a popular tourist destination.

In the past, there have been reports of illegal hunting of rare red pandas and other wildlife, including pheasants, in Olanchungola and other Himalayan border areas. 

Locals said that hunters from Tibet, the autonomous region of China, have entered these mountainous areas to poach red pandas and other rare animals.