Dimapur, June 12 (MExN): The Wildlife Division, Dimapur conducted survey and awareness programmes in the recently declared Community Reserved Forests under Zunheboto district.
It was conducted separately at Chishilimi, Lizutomi and Tsuruhu village under Zunheboto district during the first week of June 2018 with the participation of GBs, Village Councils, Community Reserved Forests Committees, teachers and students of the village primary schools and invitees from neighbouring villages.
Speaking on behalf of Wildlife Warden, Dimapur, Hukai H Zhimo, Forester – I, Wildlife Crime Control Unit, spoke on the meaning and significance of Community Reserve Forest. He explained to the participants that Community Reserve forests are forestland owned and managed by the community or village and that there is no transfer of forestland to the government.
“The people, communities and villages are the sole and exclusive owners of the forestlands,” he said while adding that the department and the government gives recognition to Community Reserved Forests and provide financial assistance to Community Reserved Forests Committees to manage their forests and carryout various wildlife habitat enrichment activities such as construction/creation of waterholes, saltlicks, planting of fruit trees species etc for wild animals and birds as wildlife requires sufficient water, food, shelter and space to survive.
He also added that alternative livelihood measures such as distribution of piglets and poultry are carried out to reduce the people’s dependence on forests and wildlife for animal protein. Beside these, watchtowers/lookout towers are also constructed to check poaching, illegal logging, fire etc inside the Community Reserved Forests. He lamented how the natural habitats of wild animals and plants are being destroyed for land development, farming and human greed and said that our planet have lost many species of wildlife to extinction.
He said, “We are all individually responsible to wildlife and nature and the mindset that protection of wildlife is the responsibility of the forest department should change.”
He appealed to all the participants to make sincere and concerted efforts towards securing the future of wildlife we have now, keeping in mind the significant role, the wildlife plays in maintaining the ecological equilibrium.
Dr. Inato Zhimo, Chairman, Tsuruhu Village Community Reserve shared the success story of how Israel gained worldwide reputation for its ability to reverse the process of desertification and cultivate forests in what had previously been a barren desert. He thanked the forest department and the government for recognition of Tsuruhu Community Reserve forest and assured to work sincerely and selflessly towards making their village Community Reserve forest a model reserve forest.
Kakiye Zhimo, member of Tsuruhu Village Community Reserve explained as to how each organism on this earth has a unique place in food chain that helps to contribute to the ecosystem in its own special way. He appealed to all the participants to protect and preserve all life forms found in wild for maintaining the ecological balance.
Speech on wildlife protection was delivered by Longshak Konyak, Forester-I, Wildlife Crime Control Unit, Dimapur. He said that, the term ‘wildlife’ not only caters to wild animals but includes all birds, insects, plants, fungi and even microscopic organisms. He explained some of the important Sections of WL (P) Act, 1972 and said that wildlife crime is as serious as any other crimes and the violation of it invites penalties/punishments under Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
The GBs, Village Council Chairman, Chairman and members of the respective village Community Reserved Forests assured of full support and cooperation to the department and committed towards preserving and protecting wildlife and forests within their jurisdiction.
The programme concluded with skill up gradation training to selected participants from community reserved forests committees who were trained on basic of GPS (taking geo coordinates, elevations, waypoints etc) by field staffs from Wildlife Division, Dimapur.
