Arunachal: Bird and Butterfly Walk held at Ziro Valley
The purpose of the event was to explore the potential of the area as a short trekking route and to assess the floral and faunal diversity there.
ZIRO- A Bird and Butterfly Walk was organized by the Pamu Yalang Welfare Society in collaboration with the District Administration, NgunuZiro and Arunachal Pradesh Birding Club today. The purpose of the event was to explore the potential of the area as a short trekking route and to assess the floral and faunal diversity there.
Bamin Nime, Deputy Commissioner, Ziro commended the Pamu Yalang Welfare Society for organizing such an event, taking up various steps for the welfare of the village and adopting the legendary Pamu Yalang, a sacred site of the Apatanis. He assured to take up the construction of a museum at the historically important Pwchañ Putu, where clay pottery was practiced. He further exhorted the people of the area for voluntary contributions for this cause.
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A total of 24 species of butterflies and 19 species of birds were documented during the 3-hour trek. Brown Gorgon and Water Snow Flat were significant butterflies photographed and Crested Serpent Eagle and Himalayan Buzzard were the important birds sighted.
Dr. Tage Kanno, a member of NgunuZiro said that documentation of Brown Gorgon is especially important because it is photographed for the first time in this areas and is one of the flagship species in Ziro along with Bhutan Glory and Kaiser-i-Hind.
Koj Mama and Millo Tako of Arunachal Pradesh Birding Club participated as the resource persons. Others who participated included Pura Tama of NgunuZiro and Michi Omo of Bamin Michi Welfare Committee.
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In the short discussion that followed the walk, it was decided that the proposal for a water conservation project at the top of the Dolo-Mañdo hills will be earnestly pursued and that the trekking route will be maintained so that the tourist and the local visitors can enjoy the fascinating birds eye views of Ziro Valley and thick vegetation in the route.
It may be mentioned that Dolo and Mañdo hills are considered as the protective deities of Bamin-Michi village. Pamu Yalang, a group of rocks perched on the Mañdo hills overlooking the village is already a popular tourist site.
Mañdo view point, from where one can enjoy the exciting sun rise over the eastern horizon and the misty view of the valley in the morning is one of the most frequented sites at Ziro. At the fag end of the trek, one passes through the centuries old majestic pine trees in the sacred groves of Mudang Tage. The largest of these trees was measured to be 17 feet in circumference.
