Where and when to see red pandas in Nepal?
December 03, 2024
Where and when to see red pandas in Nepal? Have you ever seen the red panda in the wild? Are you wondering about it?
Nepal, with a recorded population of about 237 to 1,061 red pandas in its various national parks, is the perfect place to watch the world’s cutest animal; the red panda. According to the appropriateness index methodology, Nepal is expected to have 1.9% of the world’s red pandas. Langtang National Park (LNP) is home to 24.33% of all red pandas in Nepal. It is one of Nepal’s most important red panda habitats.
The primary red panda habitat in Langtang National Park has seen an increase in sightings in recent years. These key locations are located in the districts of Sindhupalchowk and Nuwakot. The national park comprises 56 % of Rasuwa District, 38 % of Sindhupalchok District, and 6 % of Nuwakot District. Even though the Nuwakot district covers relatively less of the park, there are more red panda sightings than the Rasuwa and Sindhupalchowk districts. Our expert red panda tracker from Nuwakot has successfully spotted the red pandas in the wild on our trips. Lhakpa and his uncle, are the known red panda trackers in the region. They know every nook and corner of the forest where the rare red pandas are spotable.
Langtang National Park is Nepal’s first mountainous national park established in 1976 and the second largest national park covering 1,710 sq. km. Located in the central Himalayas, the Langtang National Park is the present popular national park in Nepal to see the red pandas in the wild. The park is closest and easily accessible near Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu, and is reachable in a day.
The park is a bio-diversity treasure gem. If you want to witness the diverse range of wildlife and birds in the wild, this is the place to go. The park is famous for its red pandas, musk deer, ghorals, pika, Himalayan black bears, snow leopards, wild dogs, ghorals, serows, and over 250 bird species.
The Pake View Point is another important attraction on this trek. At 3,500 meters above sea level, the viewpoint provides sweeping views of the Ganesh Himal, Langtang, and Jugal peaks in the Himalayas and the amazing sunrise and sunset.
Best Time to See Red Panda in Langtang
Red pandas are less visible in the summer because they avoid warm weather. They hide in tree hollows and other shaded spots and spend more time in dense vegetation. Rainfall during the monsoon makes travel dangerous as well. Therefore, tracking red pandas during the mating (January–February) and birthing (June–September) seasons is prohibited.
Red pandas are most frequently seen in the wild during the spring and autumn. For Red Panda tracking, spring (March to May) and autumn (October to November) are the ideal seasons to visit the park.
Spring is the season of vibrant colors, and the warmer weather makes it the perfect time for trekking in Nepal. During spring, a colorful variety of rhododendrons blossom in Nepal’s highland and hill forests. This adds to the beauty of trekking in the forest accompanied by various melodious chirping birds. You will spot the single panda in this period because red pandas are usually solitary. They pair up only during the breeding season.
However, in the autumn season especially in the October and November months, you will witness the red pandas in a group usually a mother and its cubs. During the autumn season, the weather gets colder and usually windy. With clear skies and sunny days, the weather is typically stable and warm during the day. But the temperature drops at night in the higher elevations, i.e. the habitats of red pandas. So, it depends on your preferences in which seasons you prefer to see the red pandas.
Aren’t you excited to see them once in a lifetime? Join us in our red panda tracking trek to raise awareness, support the local economy, and assist in conserving one of the enigmatic and endangered species: the red panda.
© Tiger Encounter
Blog and photos by: Lhakpa Gyalbu Sherpa