Abokali Jimomi
“It’s killed anyway, might as well eat it” is a typical responseto the dilemma of whether or not to eat wildmeat in Nagaland. Saying “give it to someone who eats” eases the conscience perhaps, for‘educated’ people who cannot stand up against killing.
“It’s medicinal --cures coughs, kidney stones, gastritis…” is a strong superstition behind wild meat consumption all over Nagaland. Also, buyers buy for the “thrill” of relishing a rare treat definitelynot for protein or vitamin options; wild meat is expensive and only those with higher disposable incomes (who also have enough protein sources) can buy it.
As recent as February 2016, in exchange of certain favours a villager gifted a hornbill (dead) to someone influential in Dimapur, while in a separate incident another group of people gleefully distributed Hoolock Gibbon meat, shot during a “Shikari”.Nothing seemed amiss for givers, takers or shooters. In such situations any attempt to raise concern about wildlife conservation becomes futile since it is brushedoff as “posh talk”.
None of these incidents gets reported.
Travel across Nagaland now and observe what is going on. It is common to see hunters with guns going for an all-nighterShikariin the jungle. Countless birds and practically anything that moves in the forest are targets. One need not even go to remote areas, look out of the window while traveling the Kohima-Dimapur stretch, sellers will try to stop speeding vehicles waving bunches of dead birds tied together, squirrels, even live owls and assortment of wild animals. Airgun and rifle bullets are easily available in the market, unregulated, as many as you want: weapons of mass destruction of our wildlife.
Poverty and starvation are hardly the reasons for killing wild life in Nagaland. One can understand if there were no other food available, but rice and variety of vegetables and fruit grow well in the region. So far, chicken and pigs too have had no complaintsthriving in our climatic conditions. It is alsolame to attribute killing of wild animals to Naga traditional practice; all humans once depended on wild meat for survival, in Palaeolithic times that was.
Nagaland State is unable to protect its rich wildlife; try and find a hornbill in the land of Hornbill Festival. While trekking around Nagaland can you spot a Sambar Deer, the Tragopan or Leopard Cat or other wild animals and birds endemic to this region? The killing continues and many people including conservation authorities and leaders do not truly understand the repercussions ofmindless wildlife destruction.
The threat of extinction and endangerment of species and irreparable ecological damage, biodiversity loss due to anthropogenic causes such as hunting, habitat destruction and pollution is real and happening to us.
The UNEP’s WED theme “Go Wild for Life” encourages zero-tolerance for illegal wildlife trade; what we need is Zero-Tolerance for killing, buying and eating wild meat in Nagaland.
Nagaland has successfully stopped Amur Falcons massacre with help from international media and organizations. If Amur Falcons could be saved, why aren’t we using similar strategies, publicity and rigour for the rest of the wildlife in Nagaland? Don’t our non-migratory animals need as much compassion and help?
Just as head-hunting is no longer the best activity to show our bravery, so is hunting wildlife no longer a cool sport for us to showcase to the world that is battling global climate crisis.
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