Located in the northeastern state of Manipur, Tamenglong is home to several species of endangered wildlife like Hoolock Gibbons, Serows, Chinese Pangolins and Clouded Leopards, among others. Rampant illegal hunting in the region’s villages have led to a rapid decline of biodiversity. Birds and animals (including freshwater turtles) are mercilessly hunted down for trade. This includes outright sale of bushmeat (birds, pangolin, civet, porcupine, squirrel, python, deer, turtle) in local markets for human consumption. Also, Tamenglong seems to be a major trafficking hub for pangolins and their scales.
However, in the last year or so, thanks to the action of the authors, many local NGOs and the Forest Department, the extent of hunting and trade seems to have come down.
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Live great barbets for sale in the Tamenglong market.
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Green-billed malkohas and other wildlife for sale in the local market.
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This rescued pangolin, seen eating termites, was later released in the wild. [Inset] Pangolin scales sold in the Tamenglong market.
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Body parts of a female pangolin in a hunter's kitchen. We were too late to save her.
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This was one of our first encounters of a pangolin being sold openly in the local market.
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An Asian Leaf Turtle which was rescued from the market that was later released in the wild with the assistance of local school children.
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Porcupine sold as bush meat in the local market.
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One of the rescued Bay Bamboo Rats that had its legs tied with strings (leading to deep cuts in its legs). We treated and released it in the wild.
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A rescued Asian Forest Tortoise.
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We rescued these two beautiful Stump-tailed macaques with the help of the forest department. They were held captive by a family as pets.
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Burmese Pythons, hacked to pieces and sold as exotic meat. Galina sat with the sellers and spoke about the ill effects of hunting.
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A Himalayan civet cat sold in the local market. She had succumbed to her injuries.
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We rescued this Leopard Cat kitten as some kids were about to kill and cook it. We took her home but in the absence of veterinary doctors or any special dietary formula she sadly didn’t survive.
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Galina talking to the students of Trinity Public School about wildlife conservation, as part of our school outreach program.
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Nature education using the migratory Amur Falcon story with children of the Pau Shankar Kane School. The falcons fly through the area in winter.
Concerned about the rampant hunting in their area, passionate conservationists Galina and Daniel Macwan established the Tamenglong Animals Home (TAH) as a charitable trust in 2017 with a mission to protect and conserve the biodiversity of Tamenglong.
About the author
Galina and Daniel Macwan
Galina and Daniel run the Tamenglong Animals Home in Tamenglong, Manipur.
CI is a non-profit, non-commercial portal that aims to facilitate wildlife and nature conservation by providing reliable information and the tools needed to campaign effectively.
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Located in the northeastern state of Manipur, Tamenglong is home to several species of animals, including Hoolock Gibbons, Serows, Chinese Pangolins, and Clouded Leopards.