How this Naga village transformed into a wildlife haven over 25 years

Kohima: About 25 kilometres from Kohima town, in Nagaland’s Tseminyu district, lies Sendenyu, a village where an entire community has spent the past 25 years conserving biodiversity and wildlife through a community-driven conservation movement. 

For indigenous communities, hunting has long been integral to survival and adaptation, a vital skill that not only provides food but also shapes the community’s social fabric.

Wildlife holds deep significance for many Naga tribes and is richly reflected in the culture of all Naga communities. Inspiration from nature is woven into traditional Naga attire, with animal motifs adorning shawls and wildlife parts used as ornaments and accessories. 

Wild meat has long been an essential part of the Naga diet and it remains so today. However, with wildlife populations dwindling, a recent study revealed that wild meat has become both a delicacy and a rarity for the younger generation. This scarcity has fueled a growing trend of gifting wild meat to influential people in society, either to gain favours or to express gratitude. As a result, the value and price of wild animals has risen, further driving exploitation and depleting already fragile wildlife populations.

For the residents of Sendenyu, they had long realised the need to conserve biodiversity and wildlife over two decades ago. Covering approximately 80 sq km, Sendenyu is a historical village of the Rengma Nagas, now consisting of four village councils, namely Sendenyu, New Sendenyu, Thongsunyu, and Lotsuphen. 

In 2001, alarmed by a rapid decline in flora and fauna, residents of Sendenyu resolved to formalise a local law called the “Sendenyu Village Council Wildlife Conservation Act, 2001” on January 1. Through the Act, they declared that the area comprising Lojvükemi-Kvüdarü-Shünvüketun was being declared as Sendenyu Village WildLife Protected Area, a Community Conserved Area (CCA) totally banning hunting, fishing, trapping in any form, cultivation in any form, collection of forest products/produces and setting bushfire. 

Following this decision, villagers voluntarily donated clan-owned and private lands to create a community-managed wildlife and biodiversity corridor covering approximately 22 square kilometres (2,200 hectares). This area is overseen by the Sendenyu Community Biodiversity and Wildlife Conservation Board.

Through an amendment in 2005, the locals extended the conserved area and permitted agricultural activities within the protected area. 

“As a young boy, I remember attending school with a catapult and round mud pellets,” reminisces Gwasinlo Thong, a member of the Indigenous People & Local Communities (IP&LC) Advisory Board of WCS-International, and Chairman of the Sendenyu Community Biodiversity & Wildlife Conservation Board. 

He pointed out that while their ancestors looked to the songs of nature for farming and livelihood while living in harmony with nature, today’s generation faces new threats from shrinking wildlife populations to the impact of climate change and infrastructural developments.

Thong noted that the community’s collective decision to conserve biodiversity and wildlife remains one of their most significant achievements, despite the challenges it has brought along the way.

The Sendenyu model 

Under the Sendenyu’s local conservation model, every resident of the Sendenyu community is regarded as a stakeholder, sharing responsibility for safeguarding their forests and wildlife.

As per the Sendenyu Community Biodiversity & Wildlife Conservation Act, 2001, the village has established a robust governance structure comprising a Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, three advisers, and fifteen committed conservationist members selected from among the local populace.

An Executive Body supports this structure and includes the chairmen of all four village councils, the president of the Sendenyu Youth Organisation, the chairperson of the Sendenyu Women Fellowship, and the Village Development Board (VDB) Secretaries and Women VDB Secretaries from Sendenyu, New Sendenyu, and Thongsunyu.

All conservation rules adopted by the community automatically become law within Sendenyu’s jurisdiction. The Sendenyu Youth Organisation, along with the Conservation Committee, ensures these rules are enforced, while any violations are settled in the Sendenyu Village Traditional Court.

So, what are the rules that guide this community-led conservation model? 

Hunting is completely banned within Sendenyu land, along with the use of chemicals for fishing or weedicides for farming. Trapping birds with gum or using airguns is prohibited, and jungle burning is strictly forbidden.

To protect their natural heritage, the community has also demarcated approximately 20 square kilometres of village land as a Biological Diversity Reserve for the in-situ preservation of native flora and fauna.

Alongside strict rules, the Sendenyu community has been proactive in implementing strategies that strengthen conservation at the grassroots which includes wide publicity and awareness campaigns, from youth rallies and wildlife film screenings for children to posters, banners, and church-based programmes promoting Christian stewardship of nature.

Villagers are also encouraged to move away from traditional jhum (slash-and-burn) cultivation and adopt more sustainable wet terrace farming. Thong informed that at present, about 90% of households have made this shift.

The local farmers have also been encouraged to diversify into horticulture and cash crops such as oranges, Raja Mircha (King Chilli), coffee, large cardamom, and ginger. He informed that to keep the momentum going, incentives from the State Government are channelled directly to local stakeholders, ensuring the benefits of conservation are shared by the entire community.

In 2023, the four village councils had unanimously condemned the Forest (Conservation) Amendment Act, 2023 stating that amended Act undermines the very essence of traditional customary and indigenous ownership rights guaranteed to the people under Article 371(A) of the Constitution. 

Reflecting on the constitutional provision which safeguards the land and resources of the Naga people, Thong expressed that Article 371(A) remains a ‘golden gift’ to the indigenous people of Nagaland. He opined that the Nagas should appreciate the Constitution of India and ensure that the special provision is preserved and safeguarded. 

What are the results of 25 years of conservation?

Thong informed that as a direct result of the community’s dedicated conservation efforts, Sendenyu’s forests have not only been preserved but steadily regenerated. Greater forest cover has improved the organic carbon content and nutrient levels in the soil, increased soil moisture retention, and helped maintain ecological balance across the region.

He excitedly shared that wildlife that had once vanished is now returning to these protected hills as documented by the Wildlife Conservation Society India (WSCI). At present, the forests around Sendenyu are home to a rich variety of species, including barking deer, sambar, wild boar, hog badgers, Indian wild dogs, macaques, bears, flying foxes, civets, slow loris, otters, leopards, and various amphibians and reptiles.

The area has also become a haven for birdlife, with species such as barbets, woodpeckers, partridges, quails, pheasants, pigeons, owls, cuckoos, broadbills, bulbuls, flycatchers, bush robins, and many more once again thriving in these forests.

But despite 25 years of dedicated conservation work, the community still faces significant challenges. Thong said that while they can see wildlife returning, there is an urgent need for the government to conduct a formal animal census to assess the real impact of their efforts. 

He revealed that the community has also been persuading neighbouring villages to adopt similar conservation measures as wild animals continue to be hunted in some of its neighbouring villages.

Another concern he highlighted is that protected animals often stray into villagers’ fields, causing crop damage and adding to the daily challenges of farming. Economic pressures remain a constant test of the community’s commitment to conservation, as most residents still depend heavily on agriculture and the forest for their livelihoods.

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