ABSTRACT Recent seizures of red panda pelts suggest an increasing illegal trade. Our study documents the socio-cultural perspectives affecting red panda conservation in Nepal in an attempt to determine what might be driving this increased trade. To do this, we interviewed local people; reviewed published and unpublished works, websites, and newspapers; and consulted experts. The majority of people living in red panda habitat seem familiar with this species, but it rarely has any medicinal, cultural, or religious significance. Currently, what is driving the demand for pelts is a mystery and cannot be explained by inherent negative perceptions about the animal’s value to society or positive perceptions about its economic value within Nepal. Nonetheless, we suggest that insufficient knowledge about red panda-related crime, miscommunication during awareness-building campaigns, investigators’ influence indicating a demand for pelts with a high price, and poverty-induced, easy money-making motives could be possible drivers for increasing the supply of pelts.

中文翻译：

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是什么推动了对小熊猫毛皮的需求增加？

摘要 最近缉获的小熊猫毛皮表明非法贸易正在增加。我们的研究记录了影响尼泊尔小熊猫保护的社会文化观点，试图确定可能推动这种贸易增长的因素。为此，我们采访了当地人；审查已发表和未发表的作品、网站和报纸；并咨询了专家。生活在小熊猫栖息地的大多数人似乎对这个物种很熟悉，但它很少有任何药用、文化或宗教意义。目前，推动毛皮需求的原因是一个谜，无法通过对动物对社会价值的固有负面看法或对其经济价值的积极看法来解释。尽管如此，我们认为对与小熊猫有关的犯罪的了解不足，