Camera traps laid at Tamenglong
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, December 03 2018:
With a view to ascertain presence of Royal Bengal Tigers in Tamenglong district where a few cows were killed by suspected tigers, Forest Department has laid camera traps at two places within the district.
A few years back, there were instances of tigers killing animals at Bhalok village and Tamenglong Khunjao and there was an incident of villagers killing a tiger.
There are reports of tigers killing six cows at Tamenglong Khunjao in 2012.Earlier in 2005, villagers killed a tiger at Bhalok village.
Moreover, there are reports of sighting tigers at Khongjarol, Bhalok and other villagers of Tamenglong district in the past.
This year too, Forest Department received reports of sighting tigers at Chingkao and Tharon villages in October.
It is with a view to confirm the presence of tigers that eight camera traps have been laid at Chingkao and Charinapang villages within Tousem sub-division.
A team of Forest Department officials led by DFO Aran AS laid five camera traps at Chingkao and three others at Charinapang.
Camera traps have also been laid near Makru River, informed a source.
The camera traps were laid on November 3 0 as a part of Project Tiger and the traps would remain at the present spots till December 11.The team lead by DFO Arun AS included honorary wildlife warden Nehemia Panmei, Range Officer Kh Hitler, Range Officer S Khogen, Harif Parangal of the Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural Science, Modikai Panmei of Corbett Foundation and members of Rain Forest Club, Tamenglong.
The team also came across a wild variety of orange known as Biuriyangha in Kabui dialect in the jungles of Chingkao.
It is said that the particular wild variety of orange is found only at Tamenglong and Meghalaya's Nokrek Biosphere Reserve in India.
The particular orange variety was first reported from Dailong, Tamenglong by the Centre for Conservation of Nature and Cultivation of Science in May 2016.A brown tortoise weighing 16 Kgs which was rescued by the team was set free at the community reserve of Azuram village, said the source.