GUWAHATI: The distribution of the two species of hoolock gibbons - the western hoolock gibbon (hoolock hoolock) and the eastern hoolock gibbon (hoolock leuconedyes) - in India is limited to the seven States of the North-East on the southern bank of the Dibang-Brahmaputra river system.
According to a press release, habitat fragmentation and hunting have been the major threats to gibbons in India. Lack of basic information and poor conservation awareness about the species in different sections of the people, including the frontline staff of the Nagaland Forest Department, have compounded the threat to hoolock gibbons, posing a major hindrance in the conservation of the species.
The forest guards who actually work in the field are unaware about the various facets of hoolock gibbon conservation strategy. Keeping this fact in mind and to add steam to the conservation efforts in the State of Nagaland, a series of 'Training of Forest Guards for the Conservation of hoolock gibbon in Nagaland' programmes have been designed.
Aaranyak (www.aaranyak.org) is a scientific and industrial research organization with a mission of carrying out research, training and conservation activities in the North-East. In collaboration with Nagaland Forest Department and with support from US Fish & Wildlife Service, Aaranyak carried out the first-ever training programme for frontline forest staff in Nagaland on hoolock gibbon conservation.
This training course was week-long and residential. A wide range of related topic areas are covered including, biodiversity in North-East India and conservation, primates conservation in North-East India with special reference to hoolock gibbon, gibbon census or population estimation, gibbon data collection, maintaining & reporting, techniques of floristic study, gibbon habitat characteristic and restoration, population monitoring, gibbon rescue and rehabilitation, global positioning system & use in field, and legal orientation (wildlife laws and its application). This course had provided participants with an initial understanding of the basic principles of primatology, experience with the methods and techniques used in field research. The course consists of daily lectures and field exercises.
The training for the first batch was started on Februay 7 at the State Environment and Forestry Training Institute, Dimapur, Nagaland. It was inaugurated by M Shakiba Yimchunger, IFS, Director of SEFTI, Dimapur, who welcomed the trainees from Nagaland and said that this type of training, first of its kind in the State of Nagaland, would help frontline forest staff to build their capacity for the conservation of biodivesity.
Dr Dilip Chetry, Head, Primate Research & Conservation Initiatives of Aaranyak, welcomed all the trainees and requested them to make full use of this training to enhance their knowledge on conservation of hoolock gibbons in particular and biodiversity in general. The inaugural session was also addressed by Obed B Swu, Deputy Director, SEFTI.
Twenty-eight forest guards from five wildlife divisions of Nagaland had attended the training programme from February 7 to February 12. A field study was conducted at Hollongapar Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary in Assam.
During these training programmes Dr IC Baruah of Assam Agricultural University, Dr Bibhab Kumar Talukdar, Dr Bibhuti Prasad Lahkar, Dr Dipankar Lahkar, Dr Jimmy Borah, Dr Dilip Chetry, Arup Kumar Das of Aaranyak, Mridu Paban Phukan from Wildlife Conservation and Study Centre, and Ajay Kumar Das of Aaranyak & Guwahati High Court trained these forest officials.
The convocation of the training was held on February 12, where certificates, books, posters and other study materials were handed over to the trainees by Raj Priya Singh, IFS, Conservator of Forest (Research, Planning & Utilization).
Training for the next batch of the first field staff will be held from February 21st to February 26 at State Environment and Forestry Training Institute, Dimapur.
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