Wildlife Day celebrated to protect big cats

WAKRO, Mar 3: Wildlife Day with the theme ‘Big cats: predators under threat’, was observed at Kamlang Tiger Reserve involving students and people of the fringe area/ villages to protect and raise awareness on wildlife, particularly tiger, on 3 March.
Highlighting the importance of wildlife and big cats, DFO Koj Tassar appealed to the villagers in the fringe of the sanctuary to protect and preserve wild animals and their habitat so that the big cats and their co-predators do not stray into human habitats. He cited the example of the recent case in Namsai, where a leopard had moved away from its natural habitat and strayed into a market place.
Anchal Samiti Chairperson Junali Ngadong Yun urged the local people, students, teachers and forest officials to have co-operation and co-ordination amongst them in preservation and protection of wildlife and pristine forests of the area.
Tree plantation, drawing competitions among school children, awareness meeting and distribution of solar lights at Karhe and Pukhuri village marked the day.
RO K Dechen, ASM M Tayang and GBs of Mawai and Pukhuri village also spoke on the occasion.
Earlier, the celebration started with wildlife awareness procession in the morning by the school children.