JIRIBAM, February 9: Jiribam sub-division has an abundance of rare species of wildlife and local birds and animals which are hard to find in other parts of the state due to its topography. The sub-division enjoys a hot-wet monsoonal climate with temperature ranging in between 40° C (max) to 7° C (min) having an annual rainfall of about 2440mm and located 40 meters above sea level. However, due to lack of proper guarding and protection of the rare species, their numbers have been decreasing rapidly.
Staffs of the Wild Life department under the Forest department when asked about the action being undertaken in the sub-division regarding the safeguarding and protection of wild life in the sub-division expressed their ignorance on the subject and said their higher up officials have all the information.
They also said that the higher ups stay mostly at Imphal citing official works and as such they are unable to have any communication with the higher-ups on the issue.
Higher ups of the department had been contacted through the employees stationed at Jiribam through the telephone. They had assured that the department has taken several steps on the issue but had said that all related papers and pictures of all such developmental projects are in Imphal and that they could sit down together with media persons and check the development projects.
When asked if they could email the papers and pictures as coming down to Imphal is not feasible for this Jiribam based reporter, they assured that they will do so at the earliest. However, there has been no such email till date.
Some rare species of wild life found in Jiribam include King Cobra, Didhok, Apaiba Lin (Flying Snake), Apaiba Kheiroi (Flying Squirrel), Lam Oak (Wild Hog), Nga Gura (Rare fish found only inJiribam), Tortoise, as also several kinds of frogs and birds.
In the absence of proper protection by the concerned departments, the animals have been poached by hunters using guns and traps.
Some time back a Kharou Ningthou (King Cobra) was found from the residence of a one L Somerandro Singh of Kamarga, Jiribam drawing a huge crowd.
Since there was no place or authority to whom it could be handed, the locals took it to Leingangpokpi and freed it there. However, some individuals captured the King Cobra again and are said to have consumed it.
At present, frogs captured from the sub-division are being taken to Tamenglong and sold there which has been instrumental in creating an imbalance in the eco-system. There are reports that there has been a rise in the numbers of snakes wandering inside houses.
H Rajenkumar Singh, Lecturer Botany said the snakes could have wandered inside people inhabited areas, including homes in search of frogs.
Since frogs which feeds on insects have been poached in large quantity outside the sub-division, there is an increase in the number of insects subsequently increasing the number of health scares due to insects, he said before adding that the concerned authorities should check the issue when there is still time.
It may be mentioned that on July 3, 2012, the Barak Riverine Ecosystem Study team led by Dr RK ranjan Singh, Director College Development Council, Manipur University and sponsored by the International River Network had reported that the Jiribam Dholakhal Punji village (Downstream Barak) is home to the Red-eyed Frog (Leptobrachium), several other species of reptiles, fishes and mammals including frog species, snalkes water monitor lizards, calottes species, skinks, geckos, Sambar deer, Barking deer, wild boar and other smaller mammals.
There were also unconfirmed reports that last year unidentified hunters had killed a Bengal Tiger (Pantheria Tigris) at Munlaina Forest near the Dholakhal Punji village.