IMPHAL: In a significant conservation effort, the Tangkhul Naga tribe in three Manipur districts has jointly taken a resolution to ban the hunting and consumption of Chinese pangolins.
Tangkhul Naga Awunga Long (TNAL), an apex body of the influential headmen of 230 Tangkhul Naga villages in Ukhrul, Kamjong, and Senapati districts, bordering Myanmar, has taken the resolution to protect the critically endangered wildlife species.
President of TNAL Eno Kashung Tennyson signed the resolution at Ukhrul on Friday.
He highlighted that the resolution passed by the TNAL is legally binding on all community members, ensuring that conservation efforts are actively implemented.
“Until we take strict measures for the protection of the species, we might lose it forever. This will successfully lead to disrupting the existing illegal trade network and trafficking routes,” he said.
The resolution was a result of the relentless efforts of the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), a wildlife conservation group, for the past 18 months under its Countering Pangolin Trafficking Project, supported by the Wildlife Conservation Network’s Pangolin Crisis Fund (PCF).
The project aims to stop the illegal wildlife trade of pangolins, the world’s most trafficked mammal, along the highly porous Indo-Myanmar borders.
Hunting and trafficking of pangolins through the porous Indo-Myanmar borders in Manipur to Southeast Asian markets has been a worry for conservationists, which has posed a threat to the future of wildlife species.
The scales and meat of pangolins have huge demand in the markets as it has been used for preparation of Chinese traditional medicines.
The Wildlife Trust of India, in partnership with local communities, will continue engaging the members of the community to build awareness about the pangolin and its ecological significance in the landscape.
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Signage promoting the conservation message has been strategically placed throughout the district, serving as constant reminders of the community’s commitment to protecting the species.
In addition to this, WTI has also collaborated with local churches in Ukhrul to further disseminate information about the pangolin’s ecological significance and the need for its protection.
