Wildlife Exploitation: A Market Survey in Nagaland, North-Eastern India

Abstract

With growing human population, increased accessibility to remote forests and adoption of modern tools, hunting has become a severe global problem, particularly in Nagaland, a Northeast Indian state. While Indian wildlife laws prohibit hunting of virtually all large wild animals, in several parts of North-eastern parts of India that are dominated by indigenous tribal communities, these laws have largely been ineffective due to cultural traditions of hunting for meat, perceived medicinal and ritual value, and the community ownership of the forests. We report the quantity of wild animals sold at Tuensang town of Nagaland, based on weekly samples drawn from May 2009 to April 2010. Interviews were held with vendors on the availability of wild animals in forests belonging to them and methods used for hunting. The tribes of Chang, Yimchunger, Khiemungan, and Sangtam are involved in collection/ hunting and selling of animals in Tuensang. In addition to molluscs and amphibians, 1,870 birds (35 species) and 512 mammals (8 species) were found in the samples. We estimated that annually 13,067 birds and 3,567 mammals were sold in Tuensang market alone, which fetched about Indian Rupees ( ) 18.5 lakhs/ year. Temporal variation was observed with respect to various taxa sold; molluscs: almost all through the year; amphibians: June-August; and birds and mammals restricted to OctoberFebruary. We suggest monitoring of all major markets of Nagaland to examine trends in exploitation of wild animals. However, considering the traditional dependency of people on wild resources, as well as their cultural sentiments and livelihoods, any interventions for wildlife conservation should have the involvement and support of local inhabitants.

Large frugivores matter: Insights from network and seed dispersal effectiveness approaches

“…Their loss was associated with the highest degree of extinction cascades highlighting the key role they play in forest ecosystems. Across different sites in the region, barbets and bulbuls are hunted for their meat (Bhupathy, Kumar, Thirumalainathan, Paramanandham, & Lemba, ), highlighting the potential impacts it can have on the dependent plant communities.…”

Reduced Hornbill Abundance Associated with Low Seed Arrival and Altered Recruitment in a Hunted and Logged Tropical Forest

“…In spite of a ban on hunting under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, [ 38 ] wildlife are primarily hunted for food, customary rituals and for trade in north-east India [ 34 , 39 , 40 ]. Hornbills are hunted for the upper beak and tail feathers by some tribes of the state of Arunachal Pradesh (Nyishi, Wancho, Tangsa and Nocte) to adorn their traditional headdresses.…”

Yet Another Empty Forest: Considering the Conservation Value of a Recently Established Tropical Nature Reserve

“…However, unless there is a concerted effort by the authorities to control hunting and restore animal populations, it is clear the reserve will fall well short of its potential to conserve vertebrate biodiversity. Even if hunting is effectively controlled within the reserve, natural recolonisation may be difficult or impossible for many species, because wildlife populations in neighboring areas of Myanmar and Xishuangbanna are probably also heavily depleted [ 26 , 69 – 71 ]. Making natural recolonisation a realistic possibility will require controlling hunting across the broader landscape.…”

“…4) At Lambir in NW Borneo 20% of mammal species and 50% of bird species over 1 kg have been extirpated by hunting since 1984 [ 73 ]. 5) In the Nagaland state of NE India an estimated 120,000 Amur falcons ( Falco amurensis ) were harvested annually until recently [ 74 ], and an estimated 16,500 wild birds and mammals were sold annually at a single daily market, resulting in the extirpation of many culturally important species to the Naga [ 69 ]. Similar reports from other tropical regions suggest that an ever-increasing number of tropical forests across the globe are empty (e.g., [ 23 , 25 , 26 , 28 , 75 – 78 ]).…”