The killing of wild animals and birds for consumption as well as commercial purpose continues unabated despite awareness programmes and laws preventing such acts. Northeast India, which is known for its rich biodiversity, has also gained notoriety for hunting exotic animals mainly for consumption of its meat. A few weeks after reports of the Mizoram police rescuing 468 exotic animals suspected to be smuggled from Myanmar in Champhai district hit the headlines, a video of an endangered Great Indian Hornbill (Buceros bicornis) being tortured and killed in Wokha district has sparked outrage after it went viral on social media. Ironically, Nagaland’s famous Hornbill Festival is named after this beautiful bird whose population has declined drastically in the state. Officials have said that three persons have been arrested in this connection. The concerned authorities deserve praise for the prompt action. Now, getting down to the crux of the matter, it is necessary to dig deeper and see if it’s an isolated case or just another case, which otherwise would have gone unreported and nobody would have cared had the video clip not leaked. It is also necessary to ask what you would have done if you happen to spot or catch an exotic animal. In a place where hunting of wild animals was considered normal and a way of life as well as source of livelihood not long ago, there is possibility of people starting to have sympathy on the offenders after the initial outburst, because they had been in such a situation before. But the fact is that such incidents have been reported in the past and some have been sent behind bars after flaunting their killings on social media.
To stop the killing of animals and birds, especially in rural areas, aggressive awareness campaigns on the importance of conserving wildlife is a must. It will also be unfair to punish innocent and ignorant villagers in remote areas without being made aware of the laws. People should be made aware that hunting of wild animals is prohibited by law and offence committed in relation to any animal specified in various schedules of the Wildlife (Protection) Act will invite punishment; that offenders, if proven guilty, will be sentenced to not less than three years of imprisonment, which can be extended up to seven years, and also with fine. The Great Indian Hornbill falls under Schedule-1 among the protected species, so maximum penalties await those who cause harm to this endangered bird. The consequences of violating the Wildlife (Protection) Act as well as Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act should be disseminated to villagers in layman’s terms and in the language they speak. Most importantly, we should give up old habits that will affect the environment and disturb the biodiversity.