Guwahati: Let’s talk about turtles at the Hornbill festival, a cultural spectacle currently underway in Nagaland.
With life-size tortoise models, handy resource material, a signature campaign pledging to ‘Save Manouria’ and a selfie corner, the stall is an attempt to infuse a conservation culture in these ethnic communities and attract global attention to the plight of one of the most primitive living tortoises.
This is the first time that Nagaland Forest Department and Turtle Survival Alliance – India with support from Nagaland Tourism Department have utilized this platform to sensitize locals and visitors alike about the conservation need and efforts for some of the rarest wildlife of the state such as Blyth’s Tragopan, Pied Hornbill, Amur Falcon, and especially the Asian Giant Tortoise (Manouria emys), the largest tortoise species of mainland Asia facing unprecedented decline due to traditional hunting culture.
Hornbill Festival is an annual cultural spectacle held every year at the Kisama Heritage Village to encourage, and nurture the rich and vibrant culture of Nagaland.
This ten-day (1-10 December) celebration of the harvest season brings all the 17 major Naga tribes on one platform and attracts huge regional as well as international visitors.
Dr Shailendra Singh, Director, Turtle Survival Alliance India, said, “This is the first time in 22 years where attempts of incorporating wildlife conservation into the cultures and tradition of the Nagas has been made, while drawing a contrast to the criticisms made on the indigenous hunting traditions.”
“Northeast India is a very diverse turtle region and still present a unique opportunity to recover certain endangered species,” Singh said, adding that the Hornbill Festival is a great platform to showcase the successes and needs of turtle and other species conservation throughout the region.
The Asian Giant Tortoise is the largest land tortoise in mainland Asia, and is comprised of two subspecies: Manouria emys phayrei and Manouria emys emys. The critically endangered Manouria emys phayrei is found in Northeast India. It was named after Sir Arthur Purves Phayre (1812-1885), a British army officer in India who became Commissioner of British Burma.
Attracting 250 visitors on the first day to the stall, over 150 people have put their signatures on the wall adding voice to the resounding slogan “Save Manouria – The Pride of Nagaland”.
Sushmita Kar, TSA India’s project officer at Nagaland, said the TSA’s participation at the 22nd Hornbill Festival could be a torchbearer, promoting the conservation of threatened wildlife in the region while amassing the regional community support.
“I had seen turtles in my area but wasn’t aware that they are rare and should be conserved,” Riti Ongthang from Kohima said adding that this exhibition should be done on a broader scale.
Rupashree Borthakur, a nature lover and visitor from Assam, said the TSA is doing wonderful work and everybody should join in this effort.
“This is a learning experience for all of us and will do more work in turtle conservation,” said Zupeni C. Tsanglai, Director, Nagaland Zoological Park.
The TSA India team has also signed a Memorandum of Association earlier in October with 4 village committees (Baghty, Upper Baghty, Makharong, Soku) under Baghty Division, in Wokha district, Nagaland,) where 40 community members pledged towards conservation and protection of endangered tortoises and turtles and their native habitat.
Information signages on the species and future participatory efforts were also installed on the road leading to Baghty.
Under a long-term official partnership, the Nagaland Forest Department and TSA India have been attempting conservation breeding of the Asian Giant Tortoise (Manouria emys) at Nagaland Zoological Garden, Dimapur, and, as part of the next step, now potential locations are being evaluated and documented for future releases of resulted hatchlings.
Conservationists fear that just a few hundred of this species are surviving throughout its range in North-east India including the state.
The initiative at Hornbill Festival was carried out under the guidance and support from Ved Pal Singh, Chief Wildlife Warden, Nagaland Forest Department; Dr Zupeni C. Tsanglai, Director, Nagaland Zoological Park, Dimapur; Suman Shivachar, Divisional Forest Officer, Wokha, and Rajkumar M., Assistant Conservator of Forest, attached officer to Chief Wildlife Warden’s office.
Also read: Nagaland: Over 25k people visit Hornbill festival in three days