Inside Intangki and Khelia, where every animal on camera is
Inside Intangki and Khelia, where every animal on camera is also a target
More than 6000 camera traps planted across two forest habitats in Nagaland— Intangki National Park and Khelia Community Forest have revealed the extent of wild meat hunting
A common leopard
navigates through the dense forest undergrowth of Intangki, captured on a
camera trap.
DIMAPUR — More than 6000 camera traps planted across two forest
habitats in Nagaland— Intangki National Park and Khelia Community Forest—by a
group of wildlife researchers from the University of Newcastle, Australia, and
the Wildlife Institute of India have revealed the extent of wild meat hunting
by local communities, with all 31 mammalian species recorded on camera also being
hunted.
The study, published recently in Oryx – The International
Journal of Conservation, was conducted from 2020 to 2022 by four
researchers: Satem Longchar, Manjari Roy, Qamar Qureshi and Matt W Hayward.
“Over 6,634 camera trap-nights (3,923 in Intangki and 2,711
in Khelia), we recorded 31 mammalian species as well as people. The community
members hunted all wild mammal species detected by our camera traps for
multiple purposes. We excluded pheasants and other birds from our analysis, as
hunters in the region tend to prioritise larger animals,” the report stated.
An elusive grey
peacock-pheasant forages on the forest floor inside Intangki National Park.
In the process, they documented 2,591 independent photo
captures—1,594 in Intangki and 997 in Khelia. “The most frequently captured
species were the mithun Bos frontalis (feral domesticated cattle) and
barking deer Muntiacus muntjak.
“Hunters’ stated species preferences were barking deer (27
hunters), wild boar Sus scrofa (8), bears Ursus spp. (4),
primates (3), red serow Capricornis rubidus (2), gaur Bos gaurus
(2) and small mammals,” it stated.
Two
individuals carrying rifles and supplies traverse a forest trailinside Intangki National Park.
While acknowledging that hunting in Nagaland has
long-standing cultural roots and is largely subsistence-based, the report
highlighted that widespread use of guns has replaced many traditional hunting
techniques. The shift reflects not only technological change but also growing
economic pressures, including the influence of the illegal wildlife trade, it
stated.
Traditional tools and methods—such as traps, spears, and
season-specific hunting strategies—are now increasingly rare. The study found
that the hunters’ strategies varied by species, forest type, community, and
season, but in many cases, firearms have become the dominant tool, enabling the
hunting of larger and rarer species.
Camera trap captures
two men armed and moving through the park.
Limited participation
Despite the intensive use of forest resources, nearly half
of the 80 villagers interviewed—most of them farmers—expressed concern about
biodiversity loss. However, grassroots participation in conservation remains
low.
“In their occupation as farmers, the respondents encountered
challenges that impeded their active participation in biodiversity
conservation: 36% stated they had little time for involvement in biodiversity
protection. A minority (11%) cited the absence of economic benefits as a reason
for their lack of participation in biodiversity conservation,” it stated.
The study also found that perceptions of biodiversity showed
gender-based differences. A majority of women valued the aesthetic significance
of biodiversity, while men tended to stress its economic value.
The researchers warned that without integrating economic
incentives and cultural values into conservation planning, it will be difficult
to curb unsustainable hunting.
A rare red serow,
endemic to Northeast India and Northern Myanmar, cautiously moves near a stream
within Intangki.
They recommended community-driven policies, education, and
local stewardship models to build sustainable solutions. “The forests of
Nagaland are a unique landscape, and the management of these forests is notable
for its distinctive community-focused approach, with large areas of
community-owned forests,” the report stated.
With 75% of its original forest cover still intact, Nagaland
remains a critical haven for wildlife, it pointed out.
But as traditional subsistence hunting evolves under modern
pressures, urgent interdisciplinary action is needed to preserve both
biodiversity and Indigenous cultural practices, the report maintained.
A group of wild pigs
forage alongside a red junglefowl inside Intangki National Park.
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