Arunachal: Hunt for Takin leads scientists to new Red Panda haven

First-ever camera-trap images from the remote Yordi Rabe Supse sanctuary reveal a potential new refuge and wildlife corridor for the endangered species.

Guwahati: What began as a search for the elusive Mishmi Takin has unexpectedly uncovered a new refuge for one of the eastern Himalaya’s most iconic mammals—the endangered Himalayan Red Panda.

In a major conservation breakthrough, researchers have captured the first-ever photographic evidence of the Himalayan Red Panda (Ailurus fulgens) in the remote and little-explored Yordi Rabe Supse Wildlife Sanctuary (YRSWS) in Arunachal Pradesh, suggesting that one of the state’s least-studied protected areas could be a vital stronghold for the species.

The discovery has been reported in the latest issue of the Journal of Threatened Taxa by Yomto Mayi, a research scholar at the Zoological Survey of India’s (ZSI) Arunachal Pradesh Regional Centre and the Wildlife Institute of India (WII); Shantabala Devi Gurumayum, Scientist-E and Officer-in-Charge at ZSI’s Arunachal Pradesh Regional Centre; and Salvador Lyngdoh, Scientist-E at WII, Dehradun.

Ironically, the red panda was not the target species.

The photographs were captured by motion-triggered camera traps installed for a systematic ecological study of the Mishmi Takin, a rare mountain ungulate found in Arunachal Pradesh and neighbouring Tibet. Instead, the cameras recorded a far rarer prize—the elusive Red Panda.

Researchers documented the species at two locations around 12 km apart, at elevations of 2,409 metres and 2,848 metres, confirming the animal’s presence in two distinct forest ranges within the sanctuary. One of the images was captured just two days after a camera trap was installed.

The finding is particularly significant because Yordi Rabe Supse Wildlife Sanctuary, spread over 397 sq km across West Siang and Siang districts, has remained virtually a scientific blank spot since it was notified in 2007.

The name “Yordi Rabe” translates locally to “a distant and faraway hill”, while “Supse” refers to one of the highest mountain peaks within the sanctuary. The landscape is characterised by steep slopes, rugged hills and deep gorges. Despite its ecological importance, no scientific research had previously been carried out in the sanctuary.

The camera-trap sites depict an almost pristine landscape. One location showed no signs of human activity throughout the study period, while the second site recorded only two visits by a field guide. Dense moss-covered forests, bamboo patches, ferns and thick undergrowth provide ideal habitat for the endangered mammal.

The discovery also carries wider conservation implications. The researchers suggest that Yordi Rabe Supse may function as an important ecological corridor linking Red Panda populations in western Arunachal Pradesh—including Tawang, West Kameng and Shi-Yomi districts—with those in central regions such as Mouling National Park. Maintaining such connectivity is crucial to reducing the risk of inbreeding and local extinctions.

Arunachal Pradesh is considered the species’ Indian stronghold, accounting for more than 90 per cent of the country’s estimated Red Panda habitat.

“The finding supports existing evidence that much of Arunachal’s mountain habitats remain unexplored yet ecologically important. Strengthening systematic surveys and expanding community-led conservation models, which have already shown promise in other parts of the state, will be critical to securing the long-term survival of the red panda in India’s eastern Himalaya,” the researchers said.

They added that future studies should prioritise landscape-level monitoring, participatory habitat management and the integration of camera trapping with genetic studies to better understand population connectivity across central Arunachal Pradesh.

At the same time, the study cautioned that proposed infrastructure projects—including the Frontier Highway (NH-913) and hydropower developments—could fragment high-altitude forests and disrupt wildlife corridors essential for the species’ long-term survival.

The researchers acknowledged the support of the Arunachal Pradesh Forest Department, particularly the Divisional Forest Officer of Aalo Division and field staff, noting that conducting research in such an extremely remote and inaccessible landscape would not have been possible without their assistance.

The accidental discovery while searching for takins has once again underscored a growing scientific belief: vast stretches of Arunachal Pradesh remain biologically unexplored, and some of the eastern Himalaya’s most important conservation treasures may still be waiting to be found.

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