Guwahati: The forest officials and animal lovers of Zeliangrong Naga dominated Tamenglong district of Manipur, are all prepared to welcome and take multitasking measures to protect their winged guests, the Amur falcons, even as the district administration has put a ban on hunting, catching, killing and selling of the birds and use of air guns during the raptors’ roosting period.


According to wildlife experts, the long-distance migratory birds usually arrive in Manipur, mostly in the state’s Tamenglong district and neighbouring Nagaland, in mid-October, from their breeding grounds in South Eastern Siberia and Northern China. After staying for more than a month, the Amur falcons, locally known as ‘Akhuaipuina,’ leave the state and fly towards the Southern and Eastern parts of Africa, and roost a short time before moving towards their breeding grounds, the Directorate of Information and Public Relations (DIPR), Manipur, said in a press release on Tuesday.


The Manipur forest officials manning Tamenglong, as well as the Rainforest Club Tamenglong (RCT), a local animal lovers’ unit, have lined up a series of programmes to spread awareness among the villagers, to protect and show their love to the winged guests during their stint. As has been done in previous years, the “Amur falcon dance festival” will also be organised by the forest authorities in collaboration with the RCT in the month of November, the DIPR release said.


“As part of our ensuing programme to safeguard the Amur falcons, we will soon engage village volunteers for carrying out patrolling along with our forest guards at the roosting sites to thwart any attempt to kill the birds. This time, we are planning to tag satellite transmitters on two healthy birds to study their migratory routes, and for this purpose, we have contacted scientists of the Wildlife Institute of India (WII),” Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Tamenglong, Amandeep said.


“There are also plans to write stories on the Amur falcons by the villagers which would be published,” the DFO added.


RCT Secretary Ramhiamang Gonmei said that they would reach out to the youths, including college and school students, with an awareness campaign.


“Our members and volunteers are ready to launch the awareness programme, to safeguard the Amur falcons, among the villagers and college and school students. We have selected the volunteers to join hands with the forest guards to kick off patrolling at the roosting sites. Most of the Amur falcons usually roost in large numbers at the forests along the Barak and Irang rivers,” Gonmei added.


In view of the migratory birds’ arrival, Tamenglong Deputy Commissioner (DC) L Angshim Dangshawa, recently ordered a ban on killing, hunting, catching, and hunting the Amur falcons. Invoking the provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, the measures have been taken up, the release added.


The DC also ordered a ban on the use of air guns in the district, further asking all in possession of the same, to deposit them to the concerned village authorities.


“The concerned village authorities shall keep the air guns in their custody until the last flock leaves their roosting place by the end of November,” the DC said in an order.


The DIPR release further said that the measures to protect, safeguard and mystify the Amur falcons, as a joint initiative of the community, along with the state forest department, is a welcoming development of recent times, that has successfully thwarted the large-scale poaching of the migratory birds in the district by the then unaware villagers.


The writer is a senior independent journalist covering the Northeast.


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