NEW TUPI, SEP 24:
A camera-trapping initiative has been launched by the Hinthong Foundation to document and monitor wildlife in the community forest of New Tupi village in Tirap district.
The initiative seeks to promote community-led biodiversity conservation by combining scientific monitoring with local knowledge and participation. Hinthong Foundation, a registered non-profit organisation based in Tirap, has been working on biodiversity conservation for the past five years. Its co-founders and conservationists Chajo Lowang and Sara Khongsai focus on involving local communities in conservation efforts.
Camera traps have been installed at selected locations across the community forest to record wildlife movement and identify species inhabiting the area without disturbing their natural behaviour. Around 15-20 people, including the village Chief, community leaders, Youth President, an intern and Hinthong Foundation volunteers, participated in the deployment. Former Tirap Deputy Commissioner and Hinthong Foundation advisor Techu Aran also joined the team.
The initiative also seeks to incorporate the community’s traditional knowledge and observations of local wildlife into the monitoring process. By involving villagers in the use of conservation technology, the foundation aims to strengthen awareness and encourage long-term stewardship of the forest.
Several signs of wildlife were observed during and before the deployment. The team found footprints of wild boar and barking deer, along with claw marks believed to be of Himalayan Black Bear. Sites where wild boars had been feeding were also identified, while a pangolin burrow had been spotted earlier at another location. Villagers reported hearing Hoolock Gibbon calls during early mornings, which were also heard by Kime Obin, a field biologist with Morey Conservation Foundation and resource person for the exercise.
Obin guided the team on technical aspects of camera trapping, including selection of suitable locations and proper installation of the equipment. The camera traps have been supported by the Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF).
The Hinthong Foundation said the initiative would help build a scientific understanding of Tirap’s biodiversity while strengthening community participation in conservation. The data and images collected are expected to provide insights into the wildlife of New Tupi and support future conservation efforts in the district.
