One can spend their entire life exploring the rich biodiversity surrounding the Neora Valley National Park and the Pangolakha Wildlife Sanctuary. The pristine forests, covering parts of the Kalimpong district in West Bengal and certain parts of Sikkim, are home to the elusive red panda and rich avian diversity, such as Ward’s Trogon, Hoary-throated Barwing, Broad-billed Flycatcher-Warbler and many more, attracts tourists from around the world.

Tagathang, situated in Kalimpong, is a fringe village of the Neora Valley National Park, where WWF-India has been conserving the habitat of the endangered red panda. In collaboration with the State Bank of India Foundation (SBIF), WWF-India identified responsible tourism as a new and sustainable opportunity to benefit local communities while preserving fragile mountain ecosystems. Twelve homestays were established since 2018 to achieve this, and community members were trained in hospitality management and conducting guided nature walks.



While discussing the region’s avian diversity with the community, WWF-India found that the community has a ritual of hunting birds during the Maghe Sankranti festival. In 2023, the Darjeeling Bird Club (DBC), an initiative of WWF-India, came together with the Tagathang Tourism Society (TTS) to organise a birding festival on Maghe Sankranti to promote tourism and spread awareness about the importance of conserving birds and their fragile habitat.

During the Maghe Sankranti Bird Festival, a training and birding event was organised for participants from the villages of Khoppi, Naya Busty, Pithamchen and Kolakham. Over two dozen people, including members of the Darjeeling Bird Club, took part in the event. Some participants expressed interest in becoming certified nature guides who would encourage tourists to observe and photograph birds responsibly.



The Darjeeling Bird Club identified two trails: one from Khoppi to Tagathang and another in a forest close to Tagathang village. Experienced bird guides accompanied the participants on morning trails and provided hands-on training in identifying birds. Participants learnt to use binoculars and guidebooks for observations and identification. They also received information on the importance of birds, conservation efforts and potential opportunities for becoming guides to visiting bird enthusiasts.

Spotting a Ward’s Trogon on the Mulkhraka-Tagathang trail has become a significant draw for tourists. While tourism is a vital source of livelihood for local communities in this Himalayan region and has the potential to drive future development, its success hinges on adopting sustainable and inclusive practices.