Arunachal: D. Ering WLS conducts 1st ever Bird watching festival
The various experts and officials sensitized the local womenfolk and village heads to play a more proactive role in conservation and protection of wildlife..........
PASIGHAT ( By Maksam Tayeng )- The D. Ering Memorial Wildlife Sanctuary organized its 1st ever Bird Watching festival on Thursday and Friday last wherein both awareness programme cum bird watching activities were conducted amidst the presence of bird/wildlife experts/enthusiasts, students, local Self Help Groups, Gaon Burahs wildlife officials etc.
On the first day a major awareness programme was organized for the local SHGs, GBs and public at Bakkul, the entry point at Borguli Wildlife Range of the sanctuary in which Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (Wildlife & Biodiversity)-cum-Chief Wildlife Warden, Nyilyang Tam, Dy. Commissioner, Pasighat, Tayi Taggu, MLA 37th Pasighat West, Ninong Ering, Bird and Wildlife expert Dr. Anwaruddin Choudhury retired Commissioner of Assam Govt and Dr. Kaling Dai, retired Jt. Director, Health Services cum wildlife enthusiast attended.
The various experts and officials sensitized the local womenfolk and village heads to play a more proactive role in conservation and protection of wildlife and forests, as without the active participation of the womenfolk the conservation works are not complete.
Speaking on the sideline of the bird watching festival, Tayi Taggu, DC Pasighat urged and advised the villagers especially, the women to come forward in conservation work by mobilizing their respective family members like husbands, fathers, brothers and and children to shun hunting from protected areas.
Taking reference of several instances where extinction of certain populations of wildlife has adversely affected the environment and human life too, Taggu appealed to the womenfolk to protect the wildlife of D. Ering WLS which is a priceless asset for the local people and the state.
N Tam, PCCF Wildlife cum Chief Wildlife Warden also expressed hope that the participation of women in the wildlife conservation will bear fruits in true protection of the sanctuary. He said that the D. Ering WLS has a unique and huge potential for eco-tourism which would benefit the locals in days to come if promoted and protected well.
While accepting a one point memorandum from Seram village Gaon Burah and ex-village Secretary for recruitment of village youths from Seram in the sanctuary’s protection, Tam said that the sanctuary’s proper protection will create more job opportunities for the locals in near days if the sanctuary later become a Tiger Reserve and Rhino habitation.
Once happened to be the home of Royal Bengal Tiger, the D. Ering WLS’s tiger population was wiped out due to excessive hunting in the past, but proper protection now with increase of prey-base deers etc the Tigers may return to the sanctuary.
Experts like Dr. Anwaruddin Choudhury and Dr. Kaling Dai also laid emphasis on proper protection of the sanctuary’s rich flora & fauna in order to promote eco-tourism which in turn would benefit the locals economically. Dr. Choudhury said that interested tourists and experts of rare birds like Bengal Florican, Black breasted Parrotbill and Swamprinia etc which are found in the sanctuary will never come to D. Ering for seeing Deer and Wild Elephants which is common in other National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries, but only these rare birds’ availability will ensure the sure visit of wildlife enthusiasts in D. Ering WLS.
Meanwhile, Ninong Ering, MLA 37th Pasighat West in whose fathers name the sanctuary is named after appealed to the chief Ministers of both Assam and Arunachal Pradesh to initiate measures to trans-locate two pairs of male-female Rhinos in the D. Ering WLS as a goodwill initiative of both the neighbors.
“D. Ering WLS sanctuary has been a home of Rhinos in the past as the riverine swamp areas of D. Ering has the same topography of Kaziranga and Manas National Park of Assam. Hence, translocation of two pairs of Rhinos would be good which would also ensure proper protection of the sanctuary from hunting/poaching.
I have also been a hunter before, but now I am turned Valmiki and similarly I appealed to the people of fringe villages of D. Ering WLS to shun hunting and killing of wildlife of the sanctuary though we had done the mistake before out of ignorance”, added Ering.
I am amazed by seeing three wild elephants coming close to the Borguli Wildlife Range and several Hog Deer and Sambar Deer which have gradually got familiar with the wildlife staffs due to control of hunting and poaching in real time, shared Ering after staying a night inside the sanctuary and touring around the sanctuary wherein he saw Wild Buffaloes too.
Meanwhile in the second day bird watching programme, more than 90 students from Jawaharlal Nehru College, Pasighat, College of Horticulture & Forestry, Pasighat and Arunachal University, Namsai joined. The visiting students were addressed and sensitized on wildlife protection and conservation by the PCCF Wildlife & BD, DC Pasighat, Ninong Ering, MLA and experts like Dr. Choudhury.
