The Forest where Red Pandas Play
Working as a lodge naturalist at Red Panda Outpost, Deepa Rakshana witnesses many beautiful moments in the wild but even for him, spotting red panda cubs at play is rare enough to be magical. He describes the experience here:
“On the misty morning of February 20th 2026, we set out from our homestay in Jaubari with a group of guests, heading towards the Choyatar forest. Trackers had been searching since dawn, but there was no news yet. As we trekked along the ridge, the faint outlines of Kangchenjunga and Everest appeared through the fog, setting the tone for the day. Then came the call. A panda sighting. We hurried into the dense bamboo forest, their hidden world. At first, we spotted one cub resting and another feeding high on a tree. Just as we settled in, both cubs climbed onto branches right above us. We lay flat on the soft, mossy forest floor and looked up. And suddenly, magic unfolded. The two tiny cubs began to play, tugging tails, tumbling over branches, dangling mid-air in the most carefree way. Their colour glowed bright like fire when the sun rays fell on them. Completely unaware of us, they pulled us into their wild, innocent world. In that moment, nothing else mattered giving us truly surreal experience!”
Our Eastern Himalayas: Peaks, Forests & The Elusive Red Panda 2026 & 2027 holiday includes a five-night stay at the Red Panda Outpost in Jaubari eco-village. Red panda cubs can’t be guaranteed, but this extraordinary environment never fails to deliver magical experiences. Why not come with us to a place where you wake to Himalayan sunrises and watch peaks glow golden at dusk?
