Distribution and habitat use of red panda in the Chitwan-Annapurna Landscape of Nepal

Abstract

In Nepal, the red panda (Ailurus fulgens) has been sparsely studied, although its range covers a wide area. The present study was carried out in the previously untapped Chitwan-Annapurna Landscape (CHAL) situated in central Nepal with an aim to explore current distributional status and identify key habitat use. Extensive field surveys conducted in 10 red panda range districts were used to estimate species distribution by presence-absence occupancy modeling and to predict distribution by presence-only modeling. The presence of red pandas was recorded in five districts: Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Myagdi, Baglung and Dhading. The predictive distribution model indicated that 1,904.44 km2 of potential red panda habitat is available in CHAL with the protected area covering nearly 41% of the total habitat. The habitat suitability analysis based on the probability of occurrence showed only 16.58% (A = 315.81 km2) of the total potential habitat is highly suitable. Red Panda occupancy was estimated to be around 0.0667, indicating nearly 7% (218 km2) of the total habitat is occupied with an average detection probability of 0.4482±0.377. Based on the habitat use analysis, altogether eight variables including elevation, slope, aspect, proximity to water sources, bamboo abundance, height, cover, and seasonal precipitation were observed to have significant roles in the distribution of red pandas. In addition, 25 tree species were documented from red panda sign plots out of 165 species recorded in the survey area. Most common was Betula utilis followed by Rhododendron spp. and Abies spectabilis. The extirpation of red pandas in previously reported areas indicates a need for immediate action for the long-term conservation of this species in CHAL.

Red panda fine‐scale habitat selection along a Central Himalayan longitudinal gradient

“…Some authors argue that habitats featuring medium levels of bamboo coverage are most suitable for red pandas, as high bamboo coverage increases travel time, requiring the expenditure of additional energy (Hu, ; Kang et al, ). Apart from bamboo, our study suggests that tree canopy coverage, proximity to water sources and species diversity were critical habitat requirements of red panda distribution, similar to the findings of previous studies (Bhatta et al, ; Bista, Shrestha, Sherpa, et al, ; Dorji, Vernes, & Rajaratnam, ; Pradhan et al, ; Thapa et al, ; Williams, ; Yonzon & Hunter, ). However, red pandas responded to these predictors differently in the three longitudinal complexes, suggesting diverse adaptations to physiological, thermoregulatory, and ecological constraints (Fei, Hou, Spotila, Paladino, & Zhang, ; McNab, ; Wang, ).…”

“…Bamboo abundance was consistently a decisive factor of red panda occurrence in all longitudinal complexes in Nepal, corroborating similar studies (Bista, Shrestha, Sherpa, et al, ; Panthi, Khanal, Acharya, Aryal, & Srivathsa, ; Pradhan, Saha, & Khan, ; Wei et al, ; Yonzon & Hunter, ). There are marked variations in other predictors among longitudinal complexes.…”

“…Such sites are perhaps important to conserve energy as they do not require long travel for water (Bista, Shrestha, Sherpa, et al, ; Pradhan et al, ). Tall tree branches may facilitate foraging for nutritious parts of bamboo, such as young leaves (Schaller, ; Wei & Zhang, ), and help red pandas avoid encounters with predators (Bista, Shrestha, Sherpa, et al, ; Dorji et al, ; Pradhan et al, ). In central Nepal, red pandas showed positive responses to canopy cover and tree species richness, along with closeness to water sources and shorter trees.…”

“…We developed a habitat suitability model using the Maximum Entropy Modeling in the MaxEnt software (MaxEnt version 3.3.3k) that correlates environmental variables with species occurrence using the maximum entropy principle (Phillips, Anderson, & Schapire, ). Presence data of red pandas were collected from various sources (Bhatta, Shah, Devkota, Paudel, & Panthi, ; Bista, Shrestha, Sherpa, et al, ; Kandel et al, ). Model performance was assessed based on area under the Receiver Operator Characteristic curve, known as AUC.…”

“…They are taxonomically carnivores, but they have become specialized for herbivory, specifically bamboo (Roberts & Gittleman, ). Red pandas are now found in certain clusters within a narrow 2,100–4,325 m altitudinal range (Bista, Shrestha, Sherpa, et al, ; Dorjee, Chakraborty, & Dutta, ), mainly in montane forests (oak mixed, mixed broad‐leaf conifer, and conifer) with abundant bamboo in the understory (Glatston, Wei, Than Zaw, & Sherpa, ; Roberts & Gittleman, ). This species has been reported from Kalikot District of Nepal (81°E) in the west (Bista, Paudel, Ghimire, & Shrestha, ) to the Minshan Mountain and upper Min Valley in Sichuan Province, China (104°E) in the east (Choudhary, ; Ellerman & Morrision‐Scott, ).…”