PASIGHAT : A python rescued from Silluk village under Mebo Sub-Division was safely relocated to the D. Ering Memorial Wildlife Sanctuary on Thursday last, highlighting the growing role of local communities in wildlife conservation.
The python was rescued by Silluk Swachh Abhiyan (SSA) Chairman Kepang Nong Borang after villagers spotted it near the village. Responding to the information, Borang secured the snake in a cage instead of allowing it to be harmed.
The python was later released into the sanctuary in the presence of East Siang Honorary Wildlife Warden M. Tayeng and field staff of the Borguli Wildlife Range. Silluk Village-II Gram Panchayat Chairperson Opung Borang also accompanied the rescue team.
Borang said another python of similar age and size was reportedly killed by some village youths the following day. He said the incident prompted him to seek a safer habitat for the rescued python rather than releasing it near the village, where it could face further threats.
“When I heard about the sighting of a baby python, I convinced the villagers to help rescue it instead of killing it,” Borang said, stressing the need to change the tendency to harm snakes found near human habitation.
He said releasing the python in the nearby village forest could have exposed it to further risks and therefore approached the Borguli Wildlife Range for its safe relocation to the sanctuary.
The SSA team has previously undertaken similar conservation efforts, having rescued and released two Chinese pangolins into the D. Ering Wildlife Sanctuary in 2023 and 2024.
Opung Borang expressed concern that the mother of the rescued python could still be in the area. She said villagers would make efforts to rescue and safely relocate any other pythons found near the village and urged residents to immediately inform her or Kepang Nong Borang about sightings instead of attempting to kill or capture the animals.
She also appealed to the State Forest and Wildlife Department to provide rescue cages, essential equipment and medicines to local community members engaged in wildlife rescue.
The Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), D Ering Wildlife Sanctuary, and Range Forest Officer (RFO), Borguli Wildlife Range, appreciated the efforts of Kepang Nong Borang and Opung Borang towards wildlife protection.
The DFO also called upon more youths and villagers to participate in wildlife conservation, stressing that greater community involvement was essential for maintaining the region’s ecological balance.
The safe relocation of the python underscores how timely intervention and community awareness can help reduce human-wildlife conflict, particularly in villages located close to forest and wildlife habitats. (Source: Maksam Tayeng)
