Wildlife week celebration 2015 and Protected Areas of Manipur

Kh Hitler Singh *

'Save Sangai' cycle rally in connection with Wildlife Week at Keibul Lamjao National Park on October 03, 2014 :: Pix - Deepak Oinam

Recently I had an opportunity to participate "the senior level Forest Officer's Meeting" held at Sanjenthong. Principal Chief Conservator of Forest & Head of Forest Force, Manipur Shri Bala Prasad presided the meeting. The meeting discussed among others the Celebration of Wildlife Week 2015 with much wider participation and more successful mode of Celebration.

Shri Bala Prasad who is considered as one of the pioneers in the Scientific Management of Protected Areas in Manipur was very keen to host a "National or International Workshop on Conservation and Management of Sangai (Rucervus eldii eldii)" at Imphal. Sir Prasad has written the first ever Scientific Management Plan of the only floating National Park in World i.e. Keibul Lamjao National Park for the plan period of 2001-02 to 2009-10. The Plan is also the first ever Management Plan of any Protected Areas of Manipur. All the officers present were happy to learn that a National or International Workshop on Sangai, our State Animal which is also fondly named as "Ningthem" is being held at Imphal.

I was also extremely happy as an ex-Field Manager of Keibul Lamjao National Park and associated in the estimation of population of Sangai and other mammals in 2013.

But taking the opportunity; I tried to submit a humble suggestion to the respected Chairman of the meeting to kindly strengthen the Wildlife Administration in the Protected Areas of Manipur and also to bring more Forest Areas under Protected Areas so as to achieve the target of 10% Geographical Area of the State under Protected Area Network as envisaged in the National Wildlife Action Plan (2006-2011).

I am very much thankful to Sir Prasad for providing me some precious time to highlight conservation status of important wildlife other than Sangai which are endangered and included in the Schedule I of Wildlife Protection Act 1972. He has also enlightened me about the existing situation of land holding especially in the hill Districts. He is in the opinion of setting up of wildlife rich areas in Hill Districts as Bio-diversity heritage sites, which does not affect the ownership of the selected Forest land.

The Conservation status of the following endangered wildlife which are found in Manipur and many of which are included in the Schedule I & Part II of Schedule II of Wildlife Protection Act 1972 are yet to be satisfactory.

The important species are
(1) Royal Bengal Tiger (Panthera tigris tigris),
(2) Hoolock gibbon (Bunopithecus hoolock/ Hylobates hoolock)
(3) Mainland Serow (Naemorhedus sumatraensis/Capricornis sumatraensis),
(4) Clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa)
(5) Common Leopard (Panthera pardus),
(6) Golden Cat (Felis temmincki),
(7) Leopard cat (Felis bengalensis),
(8) Indian python (Python molurus)
(9) Nongin (Mrs Hume bar backed pheasant) (Syrmaticus humiae humiae)
(10) Migratory Raptor Amur falcon (Falco amurensis) found in Tamenglong
(11) Shiri, Grey Sided thrush (Turdus feae) found in Ukhrul
(12) Burmese Green Peafowl (Pavo muticus) found in Chandel
(13) Manipur bush quail (Perdicula manipurensis)
(14) Blyth tragopan (Tragopan blythii) found in Tamnglong
(15) Great hornbill (Buceros bicornis),
(16) Rufous-necked Hornbill (Acerros nipalensis)
(16) migratory Geese and ducks and many other species.

The ground Lily; Shiroi Lily (Lilium mackliniae) and Dzuko Lily (Lilium chitrangadae) should be brought under protected plants (Schedule-VI) of WPA 1972.

The habitat and the State Bird of Manipur Nongin (Mrs Hume bar backed pheasant) (Syrmaticus humiae humiae) at Razai Khullen should be protected. Razai Khullen has many natural salt licks which attract many wild buffalos from neighboring Myanmar. At present protection level in hill districts of Manipur is yet to be effective because many of important Wildlife species are found outside the proposed protected areas and these proposed protected areas located in different hill districts of Manipur are awaiting final declaration and also these areas are administrated by a single Wildlife Division. Shri P.N. Prasad APCCF (WL) & Chief Wildlife Warden, Manipur also elucidated and advocated the need for more effective management of Protected Areas in Manipur by creating more than two or three Wildlife Divisions.

The Protected Areas of Manipur under WPA 1972 are as follows. There are two more category of protected area namely Conservation Reserve and Community Reserve under amended WPA in 2003 which corresponds to IUCN category V and VI.

Manipur is having about 77.4% of its Geographical Area under Forest Cover and there are several endangered & endemic Wildlife in these area. But Geographical Area under Protected Area is very low. Manipur has 0.63% of its Geographical Area under National Park against national average of 1.23% & Manipur has 3.17% of its Geographical Area under Wildlife Sanctuary against the national average of 3.58%. The total percentage of Protected Area Network of the state is 3.79% against the National average of 4.88%.

The mode of celebration of Wildlife Week 2015 shall consists of

(a) On-spot painting competition of school students Class V to VIII
(b) On-spot article writing competition for school students of class IX to XII
(c) Students rally which shall be held at all District HQ.

There shall be State level Wildlife Photography Competition at Imphal and also nomination for Wildlife Protection Incentive Award 2015. Further there shall be Radio and TV talk on conservation and protection of Wildlife in many dialects by eminent speakers of Forest Department, Manipur.

The Sumang Lila "Mahousagi Maithong" which got second best Sumang Lila 2014 and the First best Script 2014 written by Manaobi M.M. shall be staged in different part of the State to spread the love & compassion for Wildlife. I wish a Grand Success to the Wildlife Week Celebration 2015 and hope for more proactive roles of our Department for the conservation & protection of Wildlife found especially in the hill districts.