Photo Courtesy: nenow
Imphal: Camera traps in Manipur have snapped the first evidence of the endangered Asiatic wild dog in the Ukhrul district. This marks the first time the dhole, or Cuon alpinus, has been recorded in the Shirui village hills. Locals long believed the predator was absent from these forests. The discovery confirms they were wrong.
The Ukhrul-based Environmental Force at Grassroot Level, or ENFOGAL, ran the wildlife monitoring survey. They used a camera trap placed by Pamreithing. He is a former hunter turned conservation volunteer. He used his deep knowledge of local forest trails to pick the exact spot for the camera.
The dhole is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Populations across Asia are falling due to habitat loss and fragmentation. Experts see the dhole as a sign of a healthy, intact forest ecosystem. The predator needs plenty of prey and low human contact to thrive.
Patrick Shangh, co-founder of ENFOGAL, credited the Shirui Village Authority and residents for the win. They enforced a strict ban on hunting. He said, "The finding highlighted the ecological importance of the Shirui" hills. He added that further scientific surveys could reveal more hidden wildlife.
The survey work had backing from the Ukhrul Forest Division and the KfW-supported Community-Based Sustainable Forest Management project. Village patrol teams keep watch under the Forest Area Closure program. They aim to stop illegal hunting and trapping. ENFOGAL has spent eight years running biodiversity surveys and awareness programs across the district. These efforts involve schools and local village authorities.
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