Nepali police officer Jiwan Subba still regrets the day, decades ago, when he unknowingly killed an endangered red panda he found in his barn. Now 48, Subba has since become an advocate for red panda conservation, reflecting a broader shift in awareness across Nepal. The country’s extensive community-based conservation efforts have helped stabilize red panda populations, with numbers in Nepal estimated to have increased from 300-600 in 2011 to between 500-1,000 today, according to the Red Panda Network. Educational outreach and sustainable livelihood programs have played a key role, with Indigenous communities in eastern Nepal transitioning from livestock farming to nettle cultivation to minimize habitat disturbance. Women in these areas now weave nettle fabric into products, providing them with income while allowing red pandas to thrive. Nepal has also established new conservation zones, such as the 116-hectare Puwamajhuwa Community Red Panda Conservation Area, with dedicated anti-poaching efforts. Smuggling of red panda hides has significantly declined, with 33 hides confiscated in the past five years compared to 70 between 2011 and 2015, partly due to weakened smuggling networks and strict penalties of up to 10 years in prison for poaching. However, conservationists warn that habitat loss from infrastructure projects—such as roads, hydroelectric plants, and cable cars—poses an increasing threat. In Taplejung district, residents are protesting mass deforestation for a cable car project that could further fragment red panda habitats. With red pandas listed as endangered since 2016 due to habitat loss and poaching, conservationists urge careful planning in development projects, emphasizing that protecting the species is a shared global responsibility.