Itanagar: Pakke Paga Festival, for protection and conservation of wild life
Itanagar
With the objective to spread message for protection and conservation of wild life, the third edition of Pakke Paga Festival to be commence from 18 to 20 January next at Seijosa which would be grace by state chief minister Pema Khandu as a chief guest.
Talking to media person at Arunachal Press Club (APC), organising Secretary Basang Wage informed that locals with the help of forest department have not only banned hunting of hornbills but also protecting their nest in the Reserve forest outside the wildlife sanctuary.
Stating that festival is a celebration of efforts put by local communities who residing around the Pakke Nameri Tiger landscape for conservation of its wildlife encompassing both the state of Arunachal and Assam, Wage also informed that conservation efforts of Pakke Tiger Reserve’s management along with support from local Nyishi communities has made in Pakke becoming known as safe paradise for Hornbills and other wildlife.
“Pakke Tiger Reserve has four species of hornbill such as Great Indian Hornbill, Oriental Pied Hornbill, Wreathed Hornbill and rufuos neck hornbill,” informed Wage adding that till date existing hornbill nest is more than sixteen which was adopted by well wisher, politician and others from Seijosa and from outside the state.
Later on he also informed that as a Tourist activities there will be a Jeep Safari, river rafting, wild photography, river walk, butterfly walk, trekking, elephant safari and bird watching etc, for which tourist can log in to facebook page “Pakke Paga Festival”.
He informed that way back in 2011, a group of researchers and conservationists of the Nature Conservation Foundation visited Pakke Tiger Reserve and adopted two hornbill nests, and that gradually the local residents there followed suit.
There are more than 16 nest protectors who are being paid an annual honorarium of Rs 6000. The honorariums are being funded by the donations given by the nature conservationist from across the nation and abroad, Basang added.
