Inside Nagaland’s lone zoo: Of conservation and Naga’s hunting tradition

DIMAPUR — Nagaland Zoological Park (NZP) at Rangapahar in Dimapur, the only zoo in the state, is home to as many as 369 animals, birds and reptiles of 47 different species.

Set up in 2008, it has become a favourite haunt for students, children and adults alike, witnessing a gradual increase in the number of visitors, especially during the weekends and holidays.

On the eve of World Wildlife Day, which is celebrated on March 3 every year, Eastern Mirror spoke to Dr. C Zupeni Tsanglai, Director of Nagaland Zoological Park, to know more about the state’s only zoo, challenges and the way forward.

On peak days, the number of visitors reaches 5,000 in a day (closed on Mondays for maintenance) and the revenue collected is utilised for managing the zoo, she said.

A 21-year-old tigress and a pigtailed macaque (approximately10-12 years) are currently the oldest inmates at the zoo. The tigress was 13 years at the time of exchange.

Citizens donate animals

The director shared that citizens donate an average of 10 animals in a year to the zoo. On this, she said some were rescued while others were kept at home as pets before they were donated.

While the zoo receives a good number of donated animals, she said ‘survivability’ is the issue. “Most of them come injured or underage or in a critical condition, and so when we start giving treatment some may not respond,” she explained, adding that they maintain a proper record on the status and details of the animals donated by the people.

Today, people are more aware of the need to preserve animals, and so, whenever they see animals or reptiles like tortoise in their surroundings, they would call the department to rescue them, she said.

When citizens find animals and want to donate them, they can call the department, she said, adding that those who donate are given certificate and free entry passes to the zoo as a sign of appreciation.

Recalling an endangered red serow being donated to the zoo by a citizen from Niuland district, she said the animal was caught while it was roaming to his farm house, after which the zoo was informed. The red serow is still in the zoo.

Source and handling

Tsanglai said that the zoo staff go to any part of the state to take the rescued animals, except in some exceptional cases where species are too big or bringing them to the zoo will give them stress. She cited the Sambar deer, a species prone to capture myopathy (a disease that causes muscle damage in animals) and which cannot survive if administered tranquiliser.

Under such circumstances, the department would take video evidence and then release the animals into the wild, where there will be no danger of poaching, she added.

The official disclosed that most new animals are brought to the zoo through animal exchange. For this, they have to get permission from the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) of India before exchanging any animal from any other zoo.

In 2022, the zoo brought in Gharial and hog deer, both endangered species, from Lucknow Zoo, in exchange for Asiatic black bear, slow loris and leopard cat, the NZP director informed.

In cases where a zoo animal dies, she said that they would conduct post mortem; after examining all the internal organs, they collect the sample and send the sample to central laboratory in Guwahati for pathological and micro biological findings if any infection or disease is suspected.

Endangered species at NZP

Vinoto Rochill, Forester 1, updated that out of the 47 species in the zoo, the endangered ones are  rufous-necked hornbill, oriental pied hornbill, Indian peafowl, hog deer, common jackal, Indian wolf, Dhole, jungle cat, hoolock gibbon, Himalayan porcupine, stump tailed macaque and Assamese macaque.

Others including rhesus macaque, pig tailed macaque, clouded leopard, slow loris, common leopard, royal Bengal tiger, Asian palm civet, leopard cat, Himalayan black bear, Sangai deer, Gharial, Indian flapsheel turtle, Indian soft-shell turtle, peacock soft shell turtle, black soft shell turtle, Assam roof turtle and Burmese rock python are also endangered species.

The other animals in the zoo, which are included under Schedule I and II of Wildlife (protection) Act 1972 are, brown hornbill, emu, red jungle fowl, black kite, great barbet, spotted dove, turtle dove, brown wood owl, pompadour green pigeon, Asiatic brush-tailed porcupine, spotted deer, barking deer, Sambar deer, Malayan box turtle, keeled box turtle, Asian leaf turtle, Indian star tortoise and Burmese black tortoise.

Animal hunting practice

Director of NZP Tsanglai said that the department has been spreading awareness on conservation of wildlife and that the zoo is also an ideal centre for creating such awareness.

“It is not only about them (visitors) visiting the zoo, but they have  to carry a message with them that they should not practice hunting but appreciate the animals because most of the wild animals and birds are being killed, and for this reason we do not see them anymore and some are in zoo,” she said.

She added that the department is also trying to create conservation awareness and disseminate the importance of Wildlife Act to the public.

The way forward is stopping the hunting practice, the official said while reminding that under the Wildlife Act, a person can be penalised for hunting as well as circulating videos of animals being killed.

She opined that in the past, the Naga forefathers might have been compelled to hunt and kill animals for survival and consumption as they were unable to get good protein food.

“But now, we get everything we need from the market, therefore, we should stop hunting and also teach our younger generation that hunting is not right including killing of small birds, animals and reptiles.

“We should not hunt the animal but try to conserve them so that our future generation can also appreciate those animal and birds,” she added.

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