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Aaranyak Small Grants for Nature Conservation in Northeast India

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Title of the Project: A Group of Angami Nagas experiences wildlife conservation in Kaziranga National Park.

The group pose for picture atop a watch tower

Elephant ride at Kaziranga

Forest at Khonoma

Project Investigator: M Firoz Ahmed, Aaranyak

Project objectives:

The principal objectives of this project is to share conservation experience with the Angami Tribe of Nagaland that still maintains a tradition of forest conservation in the landscape they live.

Project Report:

The Naga tribes are known for their hunting skills and as a result extirpating several species of wildlife from Nagaland in recent times. Their hunting tradition is becoming endangered at present as the wild animals have almost disappeared from many places within Nagaland.

The Angami tribe inhabiting the village called Khonoma has attracted attention of many by recent initiatives they have taken to preserve wildlife in the community lands. Communities have declared 75 km2 of forest areas as Khonoma Nature Conservation and Tragopan Sanctuary (KNCTS) few years back. Further, the shotguns in the villagers are rusting as the village panchayat has declared a ban on hunting seven.

To enhance conservation initiatives and experience of the communities in Nagaland, Aaranyak, recently invited 10 villagers from Khonoma to visit Kaziranga National Park, one of the most successful conservation areas in Asia. The group consisting of students, village youth, housewife and village elder, led by Tsilie Sakhire, Director of the KNCTS spend two days in Kaziranga. During safari and elephant ride in the park the group was led by M Firoz Ahmed, wildlife biologist of Aaranyak. They were explained about conservation initiatives in Kaziranga by senior forest officials and local residents.

The group was spellbound by the richness of the Kaziranga and the ongoing practices used for conservation and management in the park. One of the member said, “I never imagined that I could see so many deer, birds, rhino and elephants in just three hours. It’s unbelievable.” A student said, “Looking at a hard of elephant just 200 meters away is very exciting and it will be a hard job to sell this real story to my friends in the school back in Nagaland.” By the end of the trip they had only one complain, why their earlier generation did not think about conserving the wildlife of Nagaland, which is so rich and precious.

The Angami visitors paid for their travel from Khonoma to Kaziranga and back as their contribution to the programme and Aaranyak took care of their best food and comfortable lodging.