By Imnawapang Jamir
As a budding wildlife biologist, I found an opportunity of sharing my enthusiasm with others when I joined WCS-India as a Field Assistant in the ITHCP/IUCN -Phase II Project. This project works with human communities surrounding the Intangki National Park towards nature conservation. Intangki situated in Peren district is the only designated wildlife conservation area as a National Park in my State of Nagaland.
Nkio B Village
My main responsibility in the project was to work along with 20 youth across 6 villages surrounding the National Park.
The work started with many allied activities including story telling contests, expression through drawing and art, exposure visits to other successful conservation sites in Nagaland, leading to a working relationship with the village communities. As we embarked on a journey in conservation with the communities, we learnt more about conservation measures adopted, required, and the challenges they encountered. Clearly there was a need to learn more about the diversity and density of such wildlife in the community forests.
The twenty youth partners were equally interested in participating in camera trap exercises across the 6 project villages. We identified six forested areas amidst these village communities which were set aside by the community for restricted use, akin to the understanding of recognised Community Conserved Areas. The villages and areas of their conserved forests are, Beisumpuikam (31.1 ha), Pellhang (48.6 ha), Nsenlo (18.9 ha), Ikiesingram (178 ha), Nkio B (85.8 ha), and Manglamukh (34 ha) - situated along the fringes of the splendid Intangki National Park. Our objective was to ascertain the current forest wealth and presence of wild species dependent on it. This exercise to explore natural diversity was vital to communicate the importance of conservation and the need for effective measures to be in place for proper and sustainable management of available resources.
The highlight of the interaction with the community was the opportunity it provided me to work with the youth and understand their knowledge and share mine. We worked together to teach them how camera traps work and what we can learn about the status of the forest from the images captured.
The knowledge of the local guides who knew the terrain, and behaviour of animals proved invaluable as we navigated the dense forests and rugged terrain, as they expertly guided us through their landscapes. Their detailed explanations on the topography of their village and the surrounding areas kept me enthralled. In the process of exchanging wilderness experiences, flood gates opened amongst the youth partners who began sharing their own natural history adventures. They added that after joining the conservation project their perception and relationship with wildlife and their natural resources was undergoing a transformation
Training to setup camera traps
We set out as a group to delve into the community-managed forest, armed with camera traps, GPS devices, field dairy and a sense of adventure. Our main goal was to capture images of the diverse fauna and visually assess the forest's condition while taking account of non-timber forest products (NFTPs) found in nearby villages. During our walks through the area, we religiously recorded every detail we came across, to use the collected information for the benefit of community awareness. In addition, we gathered plant samples to process and store using a herbarium press, to document the diversity of flora. This is a rich aspect of nature, especially regarding ethnobotany in use for centuries, but mostly by the older generation. This knowledge is fading, and there is an increasing need for the younger generation to learn and access such traditional knowledge.
This approach helped us and the youth to recognise our objective to foster an understanding of ecosystem services and what is required of humans to promote a balanced and sustainable coexistence with nature.
The youth partners setting up camera trap
We began planning for the Phase 1 pilot survey of camera trapping in November 2023. Then, on January 8, 2024, we began the exercise in Nsenlo village. Over the next few months, we continued our expedition, moving from one village to the next, until we completed the Phase 1 of camera trap exercise by retrieving the last camera on May 30, 2024, from Nkio B village. Our team positioned 59 cameras, placing them near water holes, salt licks, and animal trails, totaling 1475 trap days. This would not have been possible without the participation of the youth partners, local guides, who had been trained in camera trap operations, handling GPS instruments, and their enthusiasm.
As we ventured through the forest, it was moving to watch the enthusiasm and commitment of our youth partners as they ardently sought to uncover and absorb knowledge. They did not disguise their intrigue and curiosity as they figured out the mechanism of the camera traps. I taught the youth partners to set up camera traps, use GPS devices, and identify various plant and animal species. They were thrilled to learn about the forest, its different life forms and ecosystem services provided to the landscape. They also learnt about our inter-connectedness of and dependency on nature for a balanced ecosystem. These experiences not only added to their knowledge, but the experience coupled with information planted a much-desired sense of pride and ownership over their local resources.
In Nkio B, we decided to spend a night in the forest. This became necessary due to the mountainous terrain, making it difficult to trek the entire village-conserved area and return in a day. This opportunity was one the local youth had not previously experienced, to witness forest life after dark. Thus, we set out to the designated conserved area for the exercise carrying our ration and camping equipment. We soaked in the dark of the night but the interactions with the youth partners from Nkio B threw up sparks of light. The young men were enthralled by the sounds of the forest, and instead of sleeping we spent hours discussing the importance of conservation and the consequences in the future if we fail to protect what remains.
Campsite during the camera trap exercise
The youth partners from Nkio B village shared their experiences with the rest of the youth partners of the other five beneficiary villages. And not surprisingly this “night out” will firmly feature in Phase II of the camera trap exercise.
During our trek through the forest, we experienced the reality of forests in our part of the world. We trekked through forests with scant canopy cover and equally poor sightings of the presence of wildlife. The silence of the forest was deafening, and it sparked discussions on the urgent need for habitat restoration and the potential consequences of inaction for the near future The dilapidated state of fragmented empty forests led the youth to understand the importance of community-led conservation initiatives and the role youth could play in promoting sustainable coexistence with nature. I saw this as an opportunity to share the ground reality of Intangki National Park, that is also suffering from the challenges of anthropogenic pressure which I experienced during the tiger prey-species study in October 2022-April 2023.
Our field guides also shared their experiences and insights on the challenges of controlling hunting pressure. We engaged in open discussions about sustainable alternatives and the importance of protecting wildlife. Along our quest on foot in the forest, we encountered and destroyed hunting traps set by hunters for catching faunal species along the transect survey line. These encounters reminded us to continue our journey with alertness, as we never know when we could encounter the next trap, hidden beneath the underbrush or cleverly concealed in bushes. The anticipation of encountering such traps and the satisfaction of dismantling these snares and traps only heightened our senses, urging us to proceed with caution and vigilance, ever mindful of the delicate balance between necessity and nature.
Two types of snares and traps found in use by the communities in these forests
Despite the challenges, we successfully accomplished Phase 1 of camera trapping in 396.4 hectares of area (a combined reserved-area total of six villages). The camera could record only 14 mammals and a few bird species at a meagre abundance ratio from those 1475 trap days. This camera trap record is a stark reminder that it is time to act now or never. These results show the importance of community-led conservation initiatives for any effort in restoring wildlife in the highly fragmented and depleted ecosystem.
Yellow-throated marten (©WCS-India)
These results and information have been shared with the community at the 2nd Inter-Village meeting, on June 29 in Pellhang where all village leaders, women leaders and youth partners were present.
Red serow (©WCS-India)
Large Indian civet (©WCS-India)
Our expedition had its challenges. We faced difficulties navigating and crawling through some very dense forest areas by making trails where there were none, climbing steep hills with the help of tree climbers and runners, sliding down slippery slopes downhill after rain, and taking careful steps as we could encounter old traps set up for bushmeat. However, the sense of accomplishment as we retrieved each camera trap was immense. Our trip serves as a poignant reminder of the critical need for conservation efforts to preserve the natural wonders of our planet. Every creature plays a vital role in the intricate dance of life, and it is our responsibility to ensure their survival for future generations.
Through this experience, we all embarked on a journey where conservation is a collective effort requiring the involvement of local communities, researchers, managers, and policymakers. I witnessed the transformation in our youth partners' attitudes towards nature from one of exploitation to one of appreciation and respect.
As we concluded our camera trapping exercise, we reflected on the journey's impact. Our expedition was a testament to the power of collaboration, education, and community-driven conservation. We had not only gathered valuable data but had also begun a conversation about empowering local communities to become guardians of their natural heritage. Let us all become stewards of this beautiful planet, let us commit to conserving and maintaining the wilderness that sustains us, for its loss would be a tragedy beyond measure.