Representative Image: A Great Hornbill (female) perched on a tree. The easiest way to tell a female from the male is their eyes as the former has White iris and the males have Red. (Photo: Clement2012 / [CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0] via Wikimedia Commons)
![Representative Image: A Great Hornbill (female) perched on a tree. The easiest way to tell a female from the male is their eyes as the former has White iris and the males have Red. (Photo: Clement2012 / [CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0] via Wikimedia Commons)](https://www.morungexpress.com/uploads/2020/09/76642575_1599845571_Great_Hornbill_female.jpg)
Wokha, September 11 (MExN): The Wokha Village Council (WVC) has decided to impose a fine of Rs 50,000 and take ‘stern action’ against anyone found shooting or posing threat to ‘rare’ Hornbill birds in any manner.
The WVC adopted the measure after the reported sighting of Hornbill birds at Mount Tiyi area. The Council also appealed to the general public of Wokha town and neighboring villages in the vicinity to make conscious efforts to preserve and protect the flora and fauna as well as the birds.
It further expressed gratitude to the department of forest, Wokha division for “their efforts and vision in rejuvenating” the biodiversity at Mt Tiyi through efforts like the recent plantation of Rhododendron Arboreum (known as Supenthera in Lotha language). The council and the department recently undertook the joint initiative at Mt Tiyi.
The WVC, meanwhile, informed all nature lovers and mountain trekkers to preserve and protect the Rhododendron flowers which are on the verge of extinction “due to recklessness of people.” The council reaffirmed its 2010 general resolution “to preserve and protect flora and fauna” within Wokha village jurisdiction and specially the Mt Tiyi reserve forest, and informed that anyone found uprooting newly planted saplings of Rhododendron and plucking or breaking branches, “will be dealt severely and imposed a fine amount of Rs 5,000.”
