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The people of Thanamir village have been trying to set up a community led wildlife reserve in Nagaland, Northeast India. I have been invited to help them create a formally recognized reserve that will protect an area of virgin forest from logging and poaching whilst enabling the local community to retain ownership and control of their land.

Nagaland still has 81.2% of its geographical area under forest cover, however only 6.44% of Nagaland’s forests are protected by the Government. These forests suffer intense threats from hunting for bush-meat, demand for animal parts from Myanmar, forest clearing due to jhum or shift cultivation and timber extraction.

Thanamir own about 30 square miles of forest that falls within a global biodiversity hotspot and is home to many endangered and threatened species including the clouded leopard, Hoolock Gibbon and Asiatic Bear whose numbers are fast declining. Tigers and Leopards are occasionally reported in the area and with sufficient protection could make a comeback.

We have been working in partnership with the Wildlife Protection Society of India and with their help have made significant progress on the project. If you would like to find out about the great work WPSI does please visit their website http://www.wpsi-india.org

THE INITIAL OBJECTIVES FOR THIS PROJECT ARE:

-Carry out wildlife conservation awareness in the community to motivate them to give up hunting and logging in the proposed reserve.

-Complete a study of existing fauna, flora, hunting and forestry practices, this will largely by done by members of the local community who will also be wildlife guards.

 -Declare the area a Community Reserve under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, and develop a funded community protection programme.

In the long-term, and with sufficient funding, it is hoped that a sustainable livelihood programme can be developed in Thanamir, by promoting sensitive wildlife and cultural tourism, and by helping to improve farming, animal husbandry and horticulture practices.

We have raised over half the proposed funding however we are up against the monsoon and aim to get the remaining £6000 before its arrival. The only way to do this is with help from individuals.

The £12,749 we aim to raise will create 15 jobs, provide essential equipment for the local community and cover all legal costs to prove the people of Thanamir own their land.

£420 will fund the annual salary of a wildlife guard, who will protect the reserve from hunting and logging. 

£300 will provide uniforms for 10 wildlife guards. 

£150 will fund one camera trap to help with the biodiversity assessment. 

£40 will provide boots for 10 wildlife guards. 

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Many thanks,

George Sopwith