Our Correspondent
Imphal, April 4 (EMN): The state forest department in collaboration with the villagers have taken up a new initiative to conserve the state bird Mrs. Hume’s Pheasant popularly known as Nongin in local dialect in Ukhrul district.
Principal chief conservator of forests Kereilhouvi Angami of the forest department formally dedicated the foundation stone of the ‘Conservation Breeding Centre of the State Bird – Nongin’ at Shirui village, about 100km north east of Imphal on April 3.
The Headman of Shirui village, local Pastor, Chief Conservator of Forest (CAMPA), H Brajamani Sharma, Chief Conservator of Forest (wildlife), Anurag Bajpai, Chief Conservator of Forest (administration and planning), Soreiphy Vashum, Divisional Forest Officer (Ukhrul), Shanngam, Assistant Conservator of Forest (wildlife), W Romabai, members of Shirui Students’ body attended the event.
“The idea is to establish a breeding centre in the forest area of the village with the support of the villagers considering the report of reducing its global population,” Divisional Forest Officer (wildlife) Arun RS said while citing that “Nongin is one of the most difficult species to breed because of its nature.”
So steps are on for the development of around four enclosures in the proposed conservation breeding centre and the department is hopeful that the villagers can take the benefit out of conservation initiatives and the eco-tourism in view of the annual Shirui Lily festival, the officer added.
The breeding season of this greyish brown or purple head, with chestnut brown plumage state bird is between February to July and it is reported from many parts of Ukhrul district which borders with Nagaland’s Phek district Myanmar’s Saigang division. But so far there is no official census of the state bird.
RK Birjit, state coordinator of Indian Bird Conservation Network said that Nongin is widely found in Ukhrul district. “Earlier we’ve spotted them mostly in Jessami areas and other villages,” Birjit said when contacted.
Mention can be made that two gentlemen GA Shimray and M Vaca of Shirui donated 6 hectares of land for this noble cause.
Even though Nongin is a state bird, the visibility of the bird is very rare in the valley as it confines to its habited sites in hills. Currently there is only a pair of Nongin in the state zoological garden at Iroishemba near Imphal.
