Awareness campaign on human-animal conflict underway

KOHIMA, JUNE 28 : A state-wide awareness campaign on mitigation of human-animal conflict with a call to ‘stop wildlife crime and protection of Nagaland’s wildlife’ was launched today by the Minister of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Dr. Neikiesalie Kire at a brief event held in the PCCF conference hall, Kohima.

The campaign is a collaboration of the Wildlife Wing of the department of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, and local environment activist organizations Fingerprint Nagaland and Castle Group, sponsored by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change.

Following the launcher at Kohima today, the campaign’s first phase will take off from July 14-21 covering the districts of Phek, Zunheboto, Mokokchung, Wokha, Peren and Dimapur (Niuland), while the second phase will be held from July 29 till August 9 and cover the remaining districts of Mon, Longleng, Tuensang and Kiphire.
Speaking at the launch, Minister Kire said the Naga instinct to hunt runs in their blood and most of them shoot down birds and animals without realizing that they are destroying the precious wildlife.

He feels that while the practice of hunting has been brought down to a great level in the recent years, it yet to be stopped completely.

He lauded the Fingerprint and Castle Group for their initiative in regard to conservation awareness and hoped that the movement that is being launched today would grow from strength to strength.

Maintaining that community is very strong in Nagaland, he advocated in educating and involving the communities in conservation efforts.

The minister cited that adding to the ground wildlife, aquatic life is also said to be depleting and this reflects that their habitat/life is being disturbed.

While acknowledging that some rural people might still be practicing rampant hunting for reasons of sustenenace, he underscored the need to educate them to stop such practices and take up alternative means of earning livelihood. He felt that hunting down of wildlife is still rampant due to the fact that there are buyers, and further urged upon all to stop buying the meat of wildlife and also spread word to others to stop buying the same.

Chief Wildlife Warden Satya Prakash Tripati, delivering the keynote address, emphasized the need for coexistence between man and wildlife.

He stated that humans, plants and animals have intrinsic relationship and most of “our daily requirements” are from the forests, as such, if forest conditions are good, it indicates that the community is maintaining a balancing relationship with its natural environment.

The official also pointed out that earlier, humans and the environment coexisted but after the advent of development, the natural environment and wildlife were disturbed as more and more forest land were diverted for the purpose of development activities. In this context, he said the people should seriously ponder whether they are disturbing the existence of wildlife or vice versa.

PCCF & HoFF M Lokeswara Rao, who delivered a brief speech on the occasion, also highlighted that habitat restriction was one of the main factors causing human-animal conflict. He stressed that the most affected areas of such conflicts must be listed and corridors need to be opened in consultation with neighbouring states. He maintained that conservation movement in Nagaland more or less started with Amur Falcons and now many villages were gaining awareness.

N Hongba Phom of Fingerprint explained a brief background on how the organization has been raising awareness on environment conservation, particularly at schools level. For the newly launched campaign, he voiced enthusiasm and hoped for cooperation from all the communities they would be working with.