Star of the show: At Hornbill, mithun takes centre stage

Kisama: At the Hornbill Festival in Kisama, an area near the Amphitheatre has been set aside to host mithuns—Nagaland’s state animal—resting calmly in wooden shelters. Their quiet strength, dark coats and composed presence immediately draw attention.

This year, the Department of Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Services (AH&VS), in collaboration with the Nagaland Mithun Farmers Federation and HIT’s–Chikhu Ghakhu Mithun Farmers Society Nagaland, is organising a Mithun Show-cum-Sale along with a lucky draw.

“Mithun is a God-gift to the Nagas,” said Dr. Inato Zhimomi, Joint Director of AH&VS and convenor of the event. “Our forefathers reared mithuns with pride and honour as part of our heritage. But the younger generation is forgetting.”

In recent years, he noted, many villages have banned mithun rearing due to fear of crop damage. Combined with out-migration and shrinking agricultural activity, the mithun population has dropped sharply. As numbers fall, prices soar, and for rural farmers who rear the animal for seven to eight years before selling, the market remains uncertain.

“They rear the best animals, but they cannot find buyers. It becomes very difficult. Unless we promote this pride of the Nagas, we cannot interest others,” he said.

To encourage participation, the department mobilised mithun farmers’ societies across Nagaland, offering to bear transport costs and even buy unsold animals. Several mithuns have already been sold—both for display and for slaughter at the Mithun Farmers’ Kitchen, where the meat is prepared for visitors.

“We want to show farmers that there is a market. They have a place to sell. This will encourage more people to rear mithuns,” Dr. Zhimomi added.

He has urged the state government to introduce winter projects and support schemes for low-income farmers, and to channel central animal husbandry funds toward mithun development. With increased availability, he said, the currently high market prices—driven by limited supply—would stabilise over time.

Clearing misconceptions and creating economic value

One of the most persistent questions among the public is whether it is appropriate—even ethical—to slaughter a state animal.

Dr. Auto V, Deputy Director of AH&VS and member of the Mithun Show, said this misconception is holding back the species’ economic potential.

“Mithun is a ceremonial animal, also called a ceremonial ox. In 2023, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) declared it a food animal. Earlier, mithun slaughter or business was technically illegal. Now it is permissible,” he explained.

With this change, banks, cooperatives and credit programmes can now support mithun farming as a legitimate economic activity.

“Mithun is not a wild animal. It is domesticated. The department vaccinates and treats them. Making it a food animal is a way of preserving it. When there is a market, the population grows,” he said.

Nagaland currently has an estimated 45,000 mithuns, while Arunachal Pradesh rears more than 2,00,000 through weekly designated mithun markets.

“The population declines when there is no premium price or market. If we encourage value addition—leather goods, processed meat, sausages, nuggets—it will benefit farmers and help conservation,” he added.

Dr. Zhimomi further noted that mithun meat remains integral to the food culture of several Naga tribes, including communities in Eastern Nagaland and among the Sumi tribe.

A living heritage and a push for reforms

Beyond economics, the mithun’s cultural significance remains profound. In Sumi Naga tradition, the animal is considered “almost human.” Dr. Zhimomi described their intelligence and sensitivity:

“They will never kick anyone. They give you space. They know who treats them well. When you insult them, they feel it. And when they are being sold, they can sense the status of the person they are going to.”

A female mithun conceives in its third year and calves annually, often living for nearly two decades. “One cow can give more than ten calves. It is a blessing,” he said, adding that blessings still need support.

The department is now urging young Nagas, especially unemployed youth, to consider mithun rearing using the semi-intensive system introduced by ICAR–NRC Mithun, which has made the practice more feasible for small communities.

At the same time, Dr. Zhimomi wants the festival itself to reflect its original spirit. “This Mithun Farmers’ Kitchen is alcohol-free. No drinks, no rice beer, no drugs. We want to make it a heavenly kingdom, not a devil kingdom,” he said.

He believes the Hornbill Festival should return to celebrating culture, heritage and indigenous identity—and should expand beyond its current boundaries.

“Why not a Mithun Festival? A Rhododendron Festival? A Tragopan Festival? These are our own insignia. Who will promote them if not us?,” Zhimomi said.

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