EMN
DIMAPUR, SEPTEMBER 25
ALL the Divisional Forest Officers of Nagaland have been directed to patrol the Amur Falcon roosting areas and take the help of DCs, SPs of the respective districts, NGOs, Churches etc for protection and to give safe passage to Amu Falcons through the State. Forest protection force will be deployed in Amur Falcon roosting areas during first week of October and will be stationed till the Amur Falcons migrate from Nagaland.Disclosing this, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) and Head of Forest Force M Lokeswara Rao in a release today said the DFOs have already communicated the direction of banning of hunting to all GBs, village councils, VDB secretaries, village elders and law abiding authorities, agencies and NGOs.
Protection measures and conservation and safe passage of the Amur Falcon during its migration in October to November this year in the State were deliberated upon at a meeting of all DFOs and Chief Wildlife Wardens in the conference hall of PCCF office in Kohima on September 24. The meeting was conducted by Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF).
The meeting further decided to form mobile squads by DFOs of Dimapur and Kohima to check illegal selling of Falcon meat in markets and on National Highways.
The matter was also discussed in Mkokchung District Planning and Development Board meeting and a circular was issued by DC Mokokchung ordering not to shoot/hunt animals or birds in Mokokchung. This order was issued after consultation with Ao Senden, Watsu Mongdang, Ao Students Conference and Village Councils, the PCCF said.
He said the Rural Development Office of the district was asked to convey the information to all the villages through RD Block and Range Office not to hunt Amur Falcons while warning that action will be taken against defaulting villages by not giving aid under RD fund.
The Wildlife Wing of Forest department has published pamphlets which will be distributed to all villages for awareness. Flexi banners will also be exhibited in all districts. Some eco-clubs also made flexi banners to be displayed in prominent places in all districts by school children.
The Forest department conducted an awareness programme in Wokha district on September 19 in which NGOs like Friends of Amur Falcon, World Life Trust of India, Natural Nagas, Forest staff and villagers were present.
Awareness programme conducted in Wokha Forest Division, a poster made by wildlife wing of Forest department is released.
People are donating animals to the Nagaland Zoo but the zoo may be crowded with animals after some time.
To enable better management of the Zoo, a society can be formed like the Zoo’s in other parts of the Country and people, institutions, NGOs can adopt the animals and they can contribute feed of the animals for one year. The Zoo authorities can keep the name plate of the people who adopted the animals on the enclosure. It was also deliberated that animals donated can be kept in rescue centre and later, these animals can be released in to the natural habitat, the release added.
