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Journalism of Courage
In this small village in Nagaland exactly a year ago, three Amur falcons were satellite-tagged to track their migration. Two of them are back, having completed their cycle to South Africa, then back to Mongolia and finally to Pangti again. They are among an estimated five to six lakh falcons that have reached Pangti and adjoining villages.
For two days since the return of falcons Naga and Pangti, villagers have been celebrating with music and cakes, while scientists are trying to find out why the birds have of late chosen this remote corner of the Naga Hills for a two-month roosting. The falcons had started arriving in Pangti, about 120 km from Kohima, from late September and will fly off by November-end. Pangti and Naga, which were tagged on November 7 last year, arrived Monday.
Amur falcons (Falco amurensis), which migrate from Mongolia to South Africa every year, chalked out a new route through the Northeast about eight years ago. Tribal villagers in Nagaland had initially taken it as a God-sent gift to feast upon. Thousands of falcons were killed between 2007 and 2012, until serious efforts were made to convert the villagers into protectors.
“Till 2012, hundreds of young men from Pangti and adjoining villages had caught and sold thousands of birds in Wokha, Kohima, Dimapur and other towns,” said journalist-turned-conservationist Bano Haralu, whose Nagaland Wildlife & Biodiversity Conservation Trust has engaged over 40 volunteers to tell the people that these birds need protection.
“We all got together, NGOs, government, student bodies and women’s groups, and have succeeded in ensuring that nobody now touches a bird,” said Steve Oduyo, chairman of Natural Nagas, another NGO.
“We now know that these birds are helping us by getting rid of pests and termites. We want people from other places to come and see how we protect them in their eight-week stay here,” said villager Wobenei, 30.
Pangti was selected for the Royal Scotland Bank Earth Heroes Award of 2014 for protecting lakhs of Amur falcons. After satellite tracking showed Naga and Pangti arriving here on Monday, village council chairman Rongchamo Shitiri was handed over the award in Delhi by Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar the following day.
The satellite tagging was a collaborative effort of the Wildlife Institute of India, Convention on Migratory Species, Birdlife Hungary, MOEFCC, and the state forest department.
Villagers are counting on Amur falcons to find Pangti a place on the world tourism map. “Pangti village has been receiving numerous visitors — locals, national and international — from students to researchers to the media. Crews of BBC and National Geographic are also here,” said Zuthunglu Patton, divisional forest officer, Wokha, a local Lotha woman.
Over 1,200 people from outside Nagaland have visited Pangti. Villagers have not only offered homestay and food but also started selling handloom and handicraft products.
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