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After achieving cent per cent success in stopping Amur falcon killings by creating awareness among the villagers through organising a Falcon Festival dedicated to the world’s longest flying migratory birds in Assam‘s hill district Dima Hasao’s New Tungbung village area, this terrain has now transformed itself into a premier tourist destination where forest guards are deployed only to protect the winged guests in roosting trees.
As the villagers have geared up for the ninth edition of the festival from November 30 to December 2, the forest staff have tightened vigil to ensure that the zero killing record continues to keep the success story of New Tungbung located near Umrangso town intact.
During the last season, visitors were able to frequently sight tigers. This year, the tourists have good chances to sight tigers, sloth bears, wild elephants, swamp deer and other wild species.” Meanwhile, in view of the Dudhwa tourism season, Kheri Superintendent of Police Ganesh Prasad Saha issued an advisory for the visitors.
The Amur falcons fly from Eastern Asia and all the way through China and enter Manipur via Myanmar before halting here for 30 to 35 days in batches, forest department officials said. The flight from New Tungbung is directed to South Africa and thus, this Assam village becomes a key transit point for protection of Amur falcons which cover around 22,000 km from their breeding to wintering ground.“It’s a big success story that in the last three to four years, the forest department has no record of killing of a single Amur falcon, though several lakhs of this species travel to Southern Africa through this location every year. Our dedicated staff are keeping a constant vigil on these birds which come to the oak and pine trees for evening roosts,” Tuhin Langthasa, DFO, Dima Hasao forest division (west) said.
During the first-of-its-kind census in the area, conducted by an NGO, 10 to 12 lakh Amur falcons passed through the area last year and the number may increase this year considering new roosting areas being discovered in the northeast.
These birds remain beyond the catch of poachers during the day as they fly high and go far, upto 60 km or beyond, from New Tungbung in search of food and return the same evening. In the past, these were killed at night while roosting in the trees.
Blue Hills Society in collaboration with Wildlife Trust of India in 2013, discovered this roosting phenomenon in New Tungbung. “Around 200 families in New Tungbung are now protectors of this bird along with the forest force,” said Joshringdao Phonglo, adviser to Blue Hills Society. Around two lakh tourists visited the site during Amur falcon fest last year here.
Buoyed by the success story, the tourism department is eyeing three lakh visitors this year in New Tungbung, inhabited by Karbis, Nepalis and Dimasas. The focussed area is around 50 hectares where these birds roost.
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