Dimapur, June 10 (MExN): A two-day consultative workshop designed to create awareness on the various aspects of Hoolock gibbon conservation strategy and generate conservation tempo as well as future planning in the state of Nagaland was organised from June 9-10.
According to a press release on Friday, in India, the endangered Western Hoolock gibbon (Hoolock hoolock) population is limited to the seven states of northeast India on the southern bank of the Dibang – Brahmaputra river system.
The release stated that Nagaland is one of the potential habitats of the endangered species; unfortunately, habitat fragmentation and hunting are the major threats to gibbons in Nagaland. In addition to this, it said there is a lack of basic information and poor conservation awareness about the species in different sections of the people of the Nagaland Forest Department, which is yet another major hindrance in the conservation of the species. It also pointed out that the forest staff who actually work in the field are unaware about the various facets of Hoolock gibbon conservation strategy, and as such, the two-day workshop was designed to fill the gaps and generate conservation tempo as well as future planning in that State.
As a result, Aaranyak—a Guwahati based scientific, industrial research organization with a mission of carrying out research, training and conservation activities in Northeast India, collaborated with the Nagaland Forest Department (Wildlife) with support from IUCN SSC Primate Specialist Group’s Section on Small Apes (SSA) and started the workshop on June 9 at the State Environment and Forestry Training Institute (SEFTI), Dimapur.
The workshop was inaugurated and chaired by Satya Prakash Tripathi, former Principal Chief Conservator of Forest & Head of Forest Force of Nagaland, and the current Chairperson of the Nagaland State Biodiversity Board. The chief guest of the function was Prof PC Bhattacharjee, former Head of Department, Department of Zoology, Gauhati University, Assam, who expressed the importance of the workshop in Nagaland, the release informed.
Whhile Wildlife Warden Dimapur Tokaho Kinimi and Director of Intanki National Park T Aochuba delivered the welcome address, Supongnukshi Ao, Chief Conservator of Forest (Environment, Biodiversity & Research) also addressed the participants, requesting them make use of this workshop for sharing and gaining knowledge on the Hoolock gibbon. He also highlighted his own experience on how Hoolock gibbons have gradually vanished from his native place and how he requested the community to come forward for the conservation of the primates.
Similarly, Dr Dilip Chetry, the Head of Primate Research & Conservation Division at Aaranyak, also requested the participants enhance their knowledge and capacity of conservation of Hoolock gibbons through the workshop. He said that the situation of Hoolock gibbon in Nagaland is alarming and it needs the support from all quarters to survive in the State. Hoolock gibbon can be a flagship species for the conservation of biodiversity of Nagaland, he added.
He said the workshop is ‘unique and first of its kind’ in Nagaland where the local community from 9 districts, Nagaland Forest Department, Primatologists, experts from Bodoland University, Guahati University, University of Science & Technology, Meghalaya and NGOs like Aaranyak, Rhino Foundation, FES, Primate Research Centre NE, together are planning for the future conservation of the Hoolock gibbon in Nagaland.
Throughout the workshop various resource persons including Dr PC Bhattacharjee from Gauhati Unversity, Dr HJ Singha of Bodoland University, Dr Prabal Sarkar of University of Science & Technology, Meghalaya, Dr A Choudhury of Rhino Foundation, Dr Jihosuo Biswas from Primate Research Centre NE, Yaranajit Deka of FES, Dr Pranjal Das, Arup Kumar Das, and Dr Dilip Chetry of Aaranyak, Mridy Paban Phukan from Wildlife Conservation & Study Centre shared their field experiences and expressed hope that the workshop would help in developing a blue print for Nagaland, as per the release.
There were 40 participants from Intanki National Park, Nagaland Zoological Park, Dimapur and Kiphire Wildlife Division, Dimapur, Phek, Mon, Zunheboto, Peren, Noklak, and Mokokchung districts of Nagaland who attended the workshop.
