Darjeeling Zoo Leads in Saving Himalayan Wildlife

Darjeeling's Padmaja Naidu Zoological Park is leading efforts to conserve Himalayan animals, including the red panda. To preserve the DNA of protected species, in June 2024, it established India’s first genetic biobank. This project aims to combat extinction by using genetic diversity.

Conservation and Public Engagement at Darjeeling Zoo

• Launched a distinctive conservation breeding and rewilding program for red pandas with an emphasis on triggering their anti-human instinct.
• The zoo has a genetic biobank, storing genetic material from several individuals to cushion against inbreeding depression—the thinning of a species.
• Thousands of tourists line up to see the zoo, and nearby shops advertise red panda sightings.
• The zoo has released nine red pandas into the wild since 2002 and plans to release at least 20 in the next five years.
• Snow leopards are a unique challenge to rewilding due to their natural habitat and complex training methods.
• The zoo is involved in efforts to conserve a lesser-known species: the Himalayan newt, which shows that it cares for all endangered species.
• Animal health and anesthesia protocols researcher Dr. Joy Dey contributes significantly to the zoo’s scientific knowledge.
• The genomic biobank preserves DNA from nine endangered species of the Himalayas to help recover the species.
• The zoo work is part of a larger understanding of conservation as a field and in a global context about work that focuses on protecting species at risk of extinction and their habitat.