High in the misty forests of North Bengal and Northeast India, a quiet conservation movement is unfolding around one of the world’s most charismatic yet misunderstood mammals — the red panda. In this episode of the Think Wildlife Podcast, host Anish Banerjee speaks with young conservationist Aamir Khan Sohel, whose pioneering work bridges red panda conservation breeding, community-led conservation, and the power of science communication through his initiative, Translating Conservation.

Aamir’s journey began unconventionally — from engineering to ecology — driven by a desire to use technology to aid conservation. He recounts how he was drawn to the red panda, a species native to the Eastern Himalayas and an important indicator of ecosystem health. Through his project in Darjeeling, he studies red panda behavior, welfare, and reintroduction success within India’s first red panda conservation breeding program, initiated at the Darjeeling Zoo in collaboration with the Government of India and international partners.

The episode delves into the fascinating world of red panda conservation breeding — how scientists train captive individuals to survive in the wild, teaching them essential behaviors like foraging and predator avoidance before their release into protected areas such as Singalila and Neora Valley National Parks. Aamir explains the scientific and logistical hurdles in bridging captive and wild populations, the reasons behind long gaps between reintroductions, and how welfare-based behavioral studies are improving the outcomes of conservation breeding programs.

Beyond the lab and breeding centers, the conversation explores the human dimensions of biodiversity conservation. Aamir’s community-led conservation model empowers local residents to become long-term wildlife monitors by combining traditional knowledge with scientific training. These community guardians help track red panda populations across the mountainous terrain, offering valuable insights into how climate change, tourism, and habitat degradation affect this elusive species and the broader Himalayan biodiversity hotspot.

He highlights the major threats facing red pandas — including biodiversity loss, habitat fragmentation, bamboo depletion, and the growing menace of feral dogs in high-altitude forests. Climate warming is altering microhabitats and pushing red pandas higher up the mountains, making long-term monitoring even more essential for conservation success.

Aamir also introduces Translating Conservation, his innovative science outreach platform that breaks down complex ecological research into accessible content — from simplified articles to comics and animations — ensuring conservation knowledge reaches local communities and the general public. For Aamir, translating conservation is not just about communication but about inclusion — enabling everyone to participate in protecting India’s rich biodiversity.

From funding challenges to field hardships, his story reflects the persistence and creativity required to conserve one of the most threatened species of the Himalayas. His upcoming research, supported by the University of Adelaide, aims to expand this model of collaborative, community-based conservation across North Bengal and the broader Northeast India landscape.

This episode offers a heartfelt and deeply insightful look at how science, empathy, and local stewardship come together to safeguard the red panda — a symbol of balance in fragile mountain ecosystems.

About the Host

Anish Banerjee is an early career ecologist, with a MSc in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation from Imperial College London. He is the founder of Think Wildlife Foundation and a biodiversity policy analyst at Legal Atlas. He is also the author of the following field guides:

Field Guide to the Common Wildlife of India: https://amzn.in/d/2TnNvSE

Field Guide to the Mammals of Singapore: https://amzn.in/d/gcbq8VG

#redpanda #redpandaconservation #redpandaconservationbreeding #northbengal #northeastindia #translatingconservation #biodiversity #biodiversityconservation #biodiversityhotspot #biodiversityloss

Get full access to The Think Wildlife Podcast at anishbanerjee.substack.com/subscribe