Kohima, Feb. 16: Villagers in a Nagaland hamlet have advertised for hired hunters to slaughter sinister ?jackals? even as wildlife activists claim that the menacing animals might not be jackals at all.
Sendenyu village in Kohima district has announced a reward of Rs 1,000 for every jackal killed. The villagers alleged that groups of eight to 10 of these ?jackals? had posed threat to other endangered animals in the ?wildlife protected area? within the village.
Several villages in Nagaland have wildlife protection parks ? Sendenyu having seven square km of such area. The village is also said to be home to deer, wild boar and bear. Hunting, trapping and fishing have been prohibited by the Village Wildlife Protection Committee for the last two years.
However, the villagers say ?jackals? had been killing animals since last week, posing a threat to other endangered wild species. ?Till Thursday, only one jackal has been killed and rewarded for,? G.Thong, chairman of the village committee, said.
The Tseminyu area, under which the village falls, forms a rich animal corridor along the border between Assam and Wokha in Nagaland via Bokajan.
Wildlife experts say villagers have mistaken hyenas for jackals. They argue that jackals usually don?t kill bigger animals like bear or deer. ?The menacing animals could be wolves or hyenas,? Amenba, a deputy wildlife warden, said.
Nagaland government has limited scope for wildlife conservation as most forest areas in the state are owned by the people. Community forests were recognised in the latest amendment to the Indian Wildlife Act in 2002. Most of the communities now seek central assistance for their own conservation projects. However, lack of awareness about wildlife has been a hindrance to implementing these projects. Amenba said this was the first instance of a ?jackal menace.
?In some cases, killing of animals becomes a necessity. But it may also wipe off rare fauna,? he cautioned.
Chief minister Neiphiu Rio had stressed implementation of wildlife conservation policies at the Governor?s camp in Wokha district on Saturday. He said conservation of wildlife was linked to tourism, while asking villagers not to use bleaching powder during community fishing. The villagers had welcomed him with fish caught from the Doyang river. ?Tourists come here for fishing. What would they do if no fish is available?? he had asked.