For the first time, a conservation-breeding programme of a zoo in India is one of three to be shortlisted as a finalist for the 2024 Conservation & Environmental Sustainability Awards, by the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA).

The Red Panda Conservation Breeding and Augmentation Programme of the Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park, popularly known as Darjeeling Zoo, has reached the top three.

“This is great news for us. It is a recognition of our conservation efforts. It will help boost conservation programmes, not only in West Bengal but also in various parts of the country,” said Birbaha Hansda, West Bengal forest minister.

The winner will be announced at the 79th WAZA Annual Conference at Taronga Zoo, Sydney, Australia on November 7.

The breeding programme began with four red pandas from the wild taken into the Darjeeling Zoo in 1990. The augmentation started in 2022. Between 2022 and 2024, nine captive-bred red pandas were released into Singalila National Park (SNP) in West Bengal. The births of five cubs were recorded in the wild.

At present, there are four males, eleven females and four newborns in the zoo, while some red pandas have been given to other zoos in India and abroad.

“Several habitat restoration initiatives in Singalila National Park and Darjeeling division are being taken up. PNHZP is taking several in-house and collaborative research works related to the red panda, with institutions like the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) and Wildlife Institute of India (WII),” said a senior forest department official.

“PNHZP’s conservation efforts are further strengthened by its biobanking and genetic resource facility, wherein gametes, tissues, and DNA of red pandas and other endangered species will be preserved for future use. These initiatives will be further continued in the future for long-term augmentation and conservation of red pandas in their natural habitat,” the official added.

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