First Camera-Trapping Initiative Launched in Tirap’s New Tupi Community Forest
Hinthong Foundation, with support from New Tupi villagers and the Nature Conservation Foundation, has begun camera trapping to document wildlife and strengthen community-led conservation.
TIRAP- The first camera-trapping initiative in Tirap district has been launched in the community forest of New Tupi village, marking a step towards scientific and community-led documentation of wildlife in the area.
The initiative has been undertaken by the Hinthong Foundation, a registered non-profit organisation based in Tirap, with the objective of documenting and monitoring wildlife inhabiting the community forest. The organisation’s co-founders and conservationists, Chajo Lowang and Sara Khongsai, have been working in biodiversity conservation for the past five years, with an emphasis on involving local communities in conservation efforts.
Under the initiative, camera traps have been installed at selected locations across the forest. The technology enables wildlife to be recorded as animals move through their natural habitat without requiring researchers to remain physically present or causing disturbance. The resulting footage is expected to help researchers and the community understand the species using the forest and their movement patterns.
Also Read- ANSU Calls 12-Hour Capital Bandh Over Education Related Demands
The deployment was carried out with active participation from New Tupi villagers. Around 15–20 people took part, including the village Chief, community leaders, the Youth President, an intern and volunteers from Hinthong Foundation. Techu Aran, former Deputy Commissioner of Tirap and an advisor to Hinthong Foundation, also participated in the deployment.
The initiative places particular emphasis on local participation. Villagers are not only assisting with the installation of cameras but are also contributing their observations and traditional knowledge of the forest and its wildlife. According to the foundation, putting conservation technology in the hands of local people is intended to increase awareness and encourage long-term stewardship of the community forest.
Also Read- Adi Bane Kebang United Urges Governor to Scrap Proposed Siang Mega Dam Project
The team has already recorded several signs indicating wildlife activity in and around the forest. During the deployment, footprints of wild boar and barking deer were found, along with claw marks believed to be from a Himalayan Black Bear. The team also identified areas where wild boars had been feeding. A pangolin burrow had been spotted at another location a few days earlier, while villagers reported hearing Hoolock Gibbon calls during the early morning.
Kime Obin, a field biologist with Morey Conservation Foundation and resource person for the exercise, also heard Hoolock Gibbon calls on the morning before the camera deployment. He guided the team on technical aspects of camera trapping, including selecting appropriate locations and setting up the equipment. The camera traps were supported by the Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF).
Also Read- Arunachal Launches First AI Boot Camp and Hackathon at IIT Guwahati
For Hinthong Foundation, the initiative is intended to establish a stronger scientific understanding of Tirap’s biodiversity while keeping local communities at the centre of the conservation process. The images and information collected through the camera traps are expected to provide further insight into the wildlife of New Tupi and support future conservation efforts in the district.
The initiative also highlights the potential role of community forests as sites for biodiversity documentation, where scientific monitoring can be combined with local knowledge and participation.
