IMPHAL, OCTOBER 10: Considering the commendable conservation activities being taken up by the villagers in the recent past, the Manipur State authority has finally declared Phalong also known as Bhalok, located around 6 km on eastern side of the Tamenglong headquarters, as Amur Falcon village.
Amur Falcon, is a small migratory raptor bird which visits Tamenglong in large number as part of their annual North to South to North (round trip) covering a distance of about 22,000km in a single migration during winter in search of food and adaptable habitation since time immemorial. Also known as Akhoipuina or Ahoipuina in Rongmei dialect, this pigeon size eagle migrates from Siberia and Northern China to Wokha(Nagaland) and then to Tamenglong before flying back to their original habitat after touching Central and western India andd South Africa.
In the past, the visit of the birds in Tamenglong hill range particularly the Barak (river) belt took it as the messengers of god of good harvest and never tried to hunt them, according to villager elders. But all of a sudden the bird were hunted in large number and sold in the markets.
Interestingly considering the importance of these migratory birds in their livelihood particularly in the agro-forestry sectors following year’s long intervention by the state forest department officials in association with some likeminded nature lovers of Tamenglong, the villagers of Bhalok also joins the campaign to conserve Amur Falcon.
Confirming this State Chief Wildlife warden K Angami said that the credit will go to villagers of Phalong or Bhalok as they work hard to take the conservation activities of the bird which is protected under Wild life Protection Act 1972 and it is included in the schedule-IV of the Act. Anybody who hunt or sell the birddds meat is liable to be punished with imprisonement up to 3 years or fine upto Rs 25,000 or both.
The village authority also imposed certain regulation in their areas, accordding to DFO Forest Huri Golmei of Tamenglong district.
