Kohima: Nagaland forest officials are doubling down on the enforcement of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. During the Wildlife Week 2026 event at the Mokokchung Town Hall on October 6, leadership from the Department of Environment, Forests and Climate Change maintained that the law has been fully applicable in the state since December 18, 1981. Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Vedpal Singh clarified that wildlife and animal parts are government property. He stated that capturing birds or keeping them in cages remains illegal regardless of public sentiment.
Singh addressed a high-profile case involving a seized Great Barbet from Porba, noting it was recently released into the Porbami Reserved Forest. While he could not discuss specific legal details because the case is sub judice, he pushed back against critics. “what you are looking at is not the complete picture,” he said. Singh emphasized that the law covers any act of capture or restriction of freedom. He asked the audience, “If we allow people to capture birds from the jungle and keep them in captivity, how many people will do it?”
Development Commissioner Y Kikheto Sema warned that administrative policy is not governed by social media campaigns. He revealed that 50 people were caught in wildlife-related offenses between 2025 and October 2026. Authorities collected Rs 31.35 lakh in penalties from 49 of those individuals. Sema noted that since 2015, 74 cases were compounded, with 69 settled outside court and five proceeding to trial. The department plans to improve public awareness through church sermons, schools, and local languages.
Minister CL John, the event's special guest, noted that while the state observes Wildlife Week annually, conservation promises are often ignored. He compared the difficulty of ending hunting to the historical challenge of ending headhunting. Representatives from Longkhum and Waromung villages raised concerns regarding the ongoing human-elephant conflict. Meanwhile, a CID preliminary inquiry continues into allegations regarding the detention of Vezhoto Hesuh and claims of an illicit Rs 1 lakh demand for his release.
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