Sonam, a resident of eastern Nepal, holds a masters degree in International Nature Conservation from both Lincoln University in New Zealand and Goettingen University in Germany. Mr. Lama has been involved in community-based red panda conservation in Nepal since 2006. As a Programme Coordinator at the Red Panda Network (RPN), he manages field programs in eastern Nepal. Sonam led the RPN team that photographed the Marbled cat (Pardofelis marmorata) for the first time in Nepal and generated new information on Asiatic leopard, Asiatic golden cat, red muntjac, spotted linsang and clouded leopard populations. He was one of the nominees of the Future for Nature Award 2019 and was a recipient in 2015 of the international Disney Conservation Hero award.