Two cubs take Darjeeling zoo red panda count to 23

By: Roshan Gupta
SILIGURI: The recent birth of two red panda at Tobgay Dara breeding centre has given Darjeeling's Padmaja Naidu Himlayan Zoological Park a reason celebrate. The zoo, known internationally for its conservation and breeding programmes for red panda, now has 23 of them, including the new cubs. By 2020, the zoo plans to release eight red panda into the wild.
"The sex of the cubs will be determined after a year when they will be shifted from Tobgay Dara breeding centre.We have 13 male and eight female red pandas at two breeding centres and at the main zoo," said zoo director Rajendra Jakahar.
On the other hand, the forest department is yet to receive reports on the red panda census conducted at Neora Valley National Park on March 13 and at Singalila National Park last year. The census will help them study the number of these animals listed in Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 as an endangered species.
The count was conducted on the basis of dung collection and genetic analysis, said chief conservator of forests, wildlife, north, Ujjwal Ghosh. "We have sent the scat samples, but are yet to receive reports," he added.