[ Indu Chukhu ]
DOIMUKH, 30 Dec: A team of forest officials from Doimukh range forest on Monday seized wild meat,both dried and fresh, from Midpu in Papum Pare district.
Doimukh Range Forest Officer Taje Dupit informed that a large quantity of wild meat, including that of birds and fishes, were seized during a surprise checking at the Midpu forest check gate. Four kalij pheasants and four barbet birds were among the seized items, he said.
He said that wild meat are carried mostly in government buses coming from Pakke-Kessang and East Kameng districts.
Dupit informed that generally in such cases no particular owners are identified. “If there are no buyers or demand for wild meat, there won’t be any sellers as well,” he said, adding that moneyed people demand wild meat from the villagers.
“Saving the wildlife is not only the duty of the forest department; there should be community effort by all,” Dupit said.
He requested all to refrain from eating bushmeat and cooperate with the forest department in the endeavourto protect the wildlife.
On Sunday, officials of the Tarasso- Balijan range forest division organised a surprise checking,stopping all the vehicles passing by Hollongi. Wild animals such as jungle fowls, porcupines, jungle rats, and slow loris, besides airguns were seized during the search.
Many well-to-do people in the capital region and district headquarters seek supply of bushmeat from hunters in the villages.
One of the people from a village said that bushmeat is sent mostly to engineers, so that they can easily avail of contract work.
“Apart from regular checking by the forest department during peak winter season, especially during celebrations, large vehicles go unchecked, while most of the meat is sent in these vehicles,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Papum Pare district unit of the Nyishi Elite Society (NES) organised an awareness programme on protection and preservation of wildlife, with the theme, ‘Say no to hunting and killing of wildlife’, in Sagalee on 28 December.
Speaking to this reporter, NES president, “The ‘NES Mission for the Protection and Conservation of Wildlife in Nyishi-inhabited Areas’ is active since it was started in 2023.”
Saying that the awareness programme was being held to include Papum Pare under the mission, Prof Showren sought support from all to generate awareness about the mission, adding that “we have asked all the NES district units to submit the status reports of the mission by 15 January, 2025, to the NES president for review.”
