Sunrise and Sunset

As i post these pictures of Sunrise and Sunset (as seen from the Helipad at Saiha during the past week) I recall having read "Walking in the Green Path" where Pranav Trivedi says "I remember Lavkumar Khachar, the pioneer of nature education in India asking the participants attending his camps about how often and how many of them watch the sunrise or look up to the sky. To my shock and surprise, I found that only few of them did so and that too 'once in a while'! Two of the most unique and beautiful things that can be seen from the EARTH (one of which even runs life on EARTH) are watched only by a few and that too sometimes! Arent we missing something ? "

Musings on environment education programme ~ 2.

Approach.

At Tuipang (block headquarters) too like Phura and Saiha we have centered our programme with students on the middle schools (both government and privately owned). On one occasion while returning from the government middle which was (to our surprise) closed we were invited to the government high school for a cup of tea. During the talks accompanying the tea (2 cups and a pakora each) we began by sharing write ups (simple language with maximum length of 2 pages; more of reader friendly hand outs) on our efforts that we had then prepared. On the classes coming to an end more teachers with equally high levels of interest joined in. We then shared the field guides we were carrying ~ focusing on birds and mammals. Some of them wanted to know which species out of the many depicted in the field guides occurred in Mizoram and whether a list of species was available in Mizo language! One of them asked me “what exactly do you do and how when you visit schools in our town?” ~ I responded saying if they had time we would be glad to showcase the presentation that we had prepared for the visit rather than just talk of it. At their agreeing we first discussed on the portions to lay emphasis on (vis-à-vis the middle school students for whom it was originally meant) and then had an invigorating time showcasing it.

This, to me, was a big learning. We will, in the coming months, have to fine tune our abilities to work in a reactive mode; primarily to get groups (other than those we are currently associated with) interested, in the actions we undertake and more pertinently the issues we focus on.

In context of designing the roles for colleagues I have been keen from the onset (at Saiha field base) that they focus on conservation education (read communications and wildlife) and not poke their fingers in other actions. This was based not on any complex management theory but a simple view that if skill sets are to be imbibed one rather learn 2 (skill sets) such that (s)he can deal with them alone rather than learning (trying to!) 4 and successfully getting lost in all. So finance and administration were out for them and so were computers! I would work on these issues and we were all to focus on being amidst villages ~ forests and comprehending communications.

In course of the efforts I realized they key lay in interest levels. I can generate only that much level of interest in the students (participating in our programmes) as I espouse. Same would hold true for my colleagues! We began with wildlife films and moved on to books. Just when I felt elated at the initial response it dawned on me that the crux was to maintain the tempo! This then evolved to a full time activity (well almost). Each time we went to Phura we would go to the Palak Lake and jhum fields would be on the itinerary of each Tuipang visit. Here we would try to observe birds and animals and try to identify them with help of field guides. I recall the frustration at our repeated inability to identify the raptors at Tuipang as also the thrill on viewing the Hoary bellied Himalayan squirrel (Callosciurus pygerythrus) nibbling at flowers while lying on our backs at Phura.

Next was writing! Facial contours of each of us underwent dramatic changes when the initial reports were written and discussed. After putting in this level of efforts last thing I desired was a “dead report” or a “reporty report”. We tried to overcome this by writing “daily diaries” and sharing them weekly with each other. I was then to collate the relevant information in a “lively and interesting” fashion.

These musings are from that collation ~

(We would appreciate any communcations in respect of process documentation on efforts focussing on environment education at nimesh.ved@gmail.com or 91 94361 56458)

Musings on environment education programme ~ 1.

Interactions with Students.

Taking a break from the traps and snares of the last few days and coming back to the programme on conservation education and awareness that has had me involved and invigorated over the past months I share some of the experiences over interactions in course of the programme.

While talking to, or rather, interacting with students I realized that when putting across a novel idea or concept or even a name of a wildlife species comparisons are a great helping hand. While talking of serow (Naemorhedus sumatraensis), the state animal, we discussed how its ears resembled that of a donkey while its body was larger than that of a goad (kel). While discussing the same module “Mizoram State Wildlife” where we talked of National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries, Important Bird Areas, State Bird & State Animal with a youth association at Phura, to put across the concept of state bird and state animal as being species that were relatively more charismatic than other species, we discussed how select political leaders were more charismatic than their counterparts!

In tune with this during interactions with the youth association, focusing on National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries, as a part of the very module mentioned above, to share with the participants that these were not necessarily “large areas of forests away from towns and full of wild animals” we gave examples with photographs making attempts to restrict the examples to the “seven sisters” so as to enable the participants to relate better to the examples. We talked of the Nokrek National Park (West Garo Hills ~ Meghalaya) that has primarily been created to preserve the citrus species occurring in wild in the landscape and the Pitcher Plant Sanctuary (South Garo Hills ~ Meghalaya) that is less than 1 sq km in area and has been created with a view to protect primarily one species – the pitcher plant (Nepenthis khasiana).

Another major issue during these interactions has been pace. Couple of months down the line we realized that pace of our “implementing” modules with students needs to vary depending on factors ranging from the location of school (a remotely located school in an small village was different from the Don Bosco School at district headquarters) to the familiarity of the topic to the students (Palak lake of the myths and folklores was different from the Palak lake that was an Important Bird Area). At Kaisih (near Phura) during interactions on the module “Wildlife in Saiha” during the initial 15 minutes I discovered (not without sadness) new levels of lack of interest with only 1 student out of 14 coming up with any kind of responses! We took an unplanned “water break”. As the students returned we began to discuss issues on their village that they possessed proficiency on and got them talking and involved and then got them one by one to read the slides that we had prepared.

On similar lines during a session on the module “Hoolock Gibbons” at Donbosco School Saiha I figured in the initial stages that on account of our familiarity with the topic we were rushing away without forging the desired level of connect with the students (read failing in our efforts). Changing gears we slowed down the pace by talking one after another in Mizo and English in lieu of only one language ~ Mizo and also got on to lengthier interactions on local names of wild species by asking students to come and write the respective names in Mizo, Mara or Lai on the board.

These and such other adaptations I understand have had significant role in our programme (and with the programme we as individuals) evolving over the last year.

I shall be glad to receive suggestions on further names in languages native to Mizoram as also to discuss the learning from and short comings of our programme ~ nimesh.ved@gmail.com or 91 94361 56458.

Wildlife Trapping ~ 4.

This is my final post (well ~ at this juncture) on historical records of trapping on wildlife in Mizoram. This section on historical records shall form the platform for our proposed study on the theme. This post shares portions from the classic The Lakhers by N E Parry (ICS) ~ 1932.

A favourite trap used for the larger kinds of game is the kapu. A small fence is erected along the spur of a hill or anywhere in the jungle where animals are frequently on the move. Passages are left at intervals in the fence, and at each of these a spear is placed horizontally along the fence at a height sufficient to pierce at a vital spot any animal that passes. This spear is held back behind the fence by a strong bamboo spring, held in position by a peg in a cane ring, and across the gap in the fence a creeper called pairi (piper nigrum) is run, so that if an animal trips over it the spring is released and forces the spear forward so as to pierce the animal which is trying to pass through the gap. A small trap of exactly the same sort is used for porcupine.

The trap generally used for catching barking deer is called sari. A low fence is made through the jungle to guide the deer along the desired path, and gaps are left for them to pass through. In each gap a hole about 1.5 feet deep is made in the ground and covered over with bamboo sticks, on the top of which a noose made of palm fibre is placed and attached to a creeper called zongveupa, which is tied on to a springy sapling. This trap is covered with soil and leaves, and a piece of wood is placed along each side of the hole to ensure that the animals will place its foot in the desired spot. No animal will ever step on a piece of wood and if there are two pieces of wood on the path, will always place its foot between them. The cane rope is then tightened sufficiently to bend the sapling and is held down by a bamboo peg, which is kept in place by the bamboo sticks covering the hole. The barking deer comes along and steps on the bamboo sticks covering the hole. These collapse and release the bamboo peg which is holding down the cane rope. The sapling flies backwards, and the noose is tight round the barker's leg.

There are several kinds of rat-traps. The most commonly used in the makheu. A low bamboo fence which may stretch as far as a mile is put up in the jungle. At intervals in this gaps are left for the rats to run through. Over each gap a log of wood is erected and is held in position by a smaller log above it, one end of which rests on a forked pole and is attached to the log below by a strand of zongveupa, while from the other end a similar rope runs down and is attached to a small piece of stick, which is held in place by a bar running along one side of the trap and by the pressure of a stick laid across the gap and held in place by other sticks beneath which the bait is placed. The rats enter the gap to get through and push aside the sticks holding the rope which keeps the trap in equilibrium. The top log flies up, and the heavy log below falls and crushes the rats. Porcupines, monkeys and birds also get caught in this trap.

Another trap formerly used for animals is the seuphong, but as it is very dangerous to men, its use has been practically abandoned. A pit about 6 feet deep was dug on a track used by wild animals, sharp stakes were planted at the bottom of it, the mouth of the pit was covered in with roten bamboo leaves and dust, and any animal that came along fell through and was impaled on the stakes. This trap was also used as defence against an enemy when two villages were at war.

(i shall be glad to receive any further information on trapping ~ snaring of wild animals in this part of the world)

Wildlife Trapping ~ 3.

Continuing with wildlife trapping as documented in the historical records for the state "The Lushei Kuki Clans" by Lt. Colonel J Shakespear published by Tribal Research Institute - Aizawl; says ~

All the hill men are very fond of fresh meat and are clever at trapping game. Long lines of rough fencing are run through the jungle, with small openings at intervals, in which snares are set. Pheasants, jungle fowl etc, coming to one of these fences will always run along it till an opening is found, and thus get snared. Porcupines are killed by a bamboo spear fastened to a sapling bent back like a spring alongside a run and so arranged that it shall be released just as the animals is opposite the spear point. Tigers are caught under a platform of heavy logs, which is supported in an inclined position by a strong cane passed over a cross piece held up by two uprights. In a hole under this platform is placed a pig in a basket; on the tiger pulling at the basket the heavy platform falls and squashes him, while the pig, being in a hole, escapes.

Deer, wild cats, etc are caught in snares, a noose being arranged so that on the animal's stepping in it a sapling to which the noose is attached, and which is held down in a bent position, is released, thus hoisting the animals up in the air. The method of releasing the bent sapling or causing the platform to fall is in all the cases the same. Two uprights are driven into the ground and a bar securely tied across near their tops. The string or rope which supports the platform or keeps tha sapling in a bent position has a wooden toogle tied to it. The string is drawn between the uprights and one end of the toggle is hitched under the bar and the other end drawn down between the uprights until it is perpendicular, in which position it is held by a movable piece of wood being flipped across the uprights, just behind its lower end. In this position the pull of the string is on the upper cross bar, and a very slight touch will remove the lower one and set the toggle free; then up goes the string and down comes the platform or noose is tightened. The removal of the lower bar is achieved in several ways. The bait or one end of a string stretched across the run may be tied to it or it may be made to support one end of a tiny platform, on which the unwary quarry treads as it passes.

Pitfalls constructed in former times for the capture of elephants are found all over the hills, generally on a narrow ridge between precipices. To catch monkeys some rice is placed on a small platform at the end of a partially severed bamboo standing at a right angle to the hillside. The monkey, attracted by the rice, springs on to the platform and is precipitated on to a number of bamboo spikes which have been stuck in the ground beneath it. The same device with suitable alteration is sometimes employed to destroy tigers and bears.

(the idea behind studying these amazingly documented historical references is to get a picture of wildlife situation in the landscape occuring in those times and to understand practices that can be applied to conserve the wildlife that occurs on these lands today)

Trapping Wildlife ~ 2.

Pu Sangkima in his "Essays on the History of the Mizos" (Spectrum Publications, 2004) talks of traps for wildlife in Mizoram while talking of Kuts in the chapter on "Social Life of the Mizos : Some Aspects.:

Kut is a Mizo word for festival or feast. Kut became one of the common features of the social life of the Mizo people. There were 3 kinds of kut: Mim kut, Pawl kut and Chapar kut. He further says that the Pawl kut (Pawl meaning straw) and Chapar kut were held immediately after the jhum (shifting cultivation) cutting (harvest) was over as a sort of harvest thanksgiving. During the feast each family prepared meat for which, a week before the occassion, "everyone went hunting by setting traps" and if they could not catch any other animals the family would kill some fowl.

Trapping Wildlife ~ 1

I continue my fascination with historical records from the region; however now focussing on hunting and trapping of wildlife. While the socio - cultural practises of a region warrant respect, i am given to understand by virtue of my current understanding (which is not very great) of the wildlife related issues in this region that trapping (of wildlife) as it is practised today merits immediate conservation attention ! We need to begin by attempting to understand - document the scenario and according work together towards implementing conservation friendly practices ~

The paragraphs below are from R A Lorrain's classic "5 Years in Unknown Jungles" and depict the scenario of a century ago from an anthropogenic perspective. Should any of you be interested i am interested to communicate on hunting and trapping as they are practised across the 8 states in this part of our country.

Page 184;
The rainy season is the great time of the year with the Lakhers (Mara) for trapping wild animals, the ground being so sodden with the continual rains as to leave deep foot-prints behind any animal that has passed along, thus enabling them to know the best spots to place their various forms of traps. By far the commonest snared animal is the barking deer, and in order to catch these swift-paced animals, which are a little larger than a large-sized goat, they set a noose across the path, one end of which is tied to a bent-over bamboo over sapling, whilst the noose itself is hidden from view by the undergrowth. A fine line crossing the path is attached to a little trigger arrangement, and the unsuspecting deer comes bounding along and is bound to touch this fine line with its hoof, the slightest touch of which will release the trigger; the bend-over sapling being immediately freed from its lashings will spring into an erect position, drawing the noose tight about the unfortunate animal’s head and the animals is suspended in mid-air strangled until the setter of the noose comes along, and if not already dead dispatches it.

Many animals, however, are killed by a trap on the principle of the bow and arrow, the arrow being a large bamboo sharpened to an exceedingly fine point, the other end of the shaft being tied to a long bamboo about 12 feet in length. This long bamboo acts as a spring; one end of it is placed between two posts which have been hammered securely into the ground, the other end having the arrow attached to it. A little platform of bamboos, which cannot be detected by the eye of the animal, is then made as a rest and guide for the arrow, and when this is complete a fine cord is placed across the pathway, at the end of which is a small trigger, also made of bamboo. The long bamboo containing the arrow is seized at the arrow end and ben back to the extent of some two feet, the trigger and cord being placed in a certain way so as to hold it in this position. According to the animal to be captured, so is the arrow placed at a height that is considered sufficient to strike its unfortunate victim in the heart.

The unsuspecting animal comes prowling along the road and the slightest touch of its paw will release the trigger, and the already straining bamboo with its bamboo arrow attached will be released and with an enormous force will strike the unfortunate beast, piercing its ide and going several inches into its body. Naturally the victim gives a bound and the arrow being secured by a cord to the long bamboo will not detach itself, and the animal is freed from the arrow. The wound, however which is made, bleeding profusely, leaves a trail behind it, and if the setter of the trap has placed the position of the arrow correctly he will not have very far to follow this blood track before he finds his victim dead. If the arrow had not been attached to this bamboo, so the Lakhers (Mara) say, but been allowed to pierce its victim, and the victim to escape with the arrow sticking into it, in all probability the wound would have healed up and the trapper would have lost his price. The principle of this trap is very similar to the principle of the school boy shooting pellets of paper across the school-room from the end of his ruler while holding the other end firmly in his hand, and it goes by the name of “Kapu”. This same trap is made in various sizes, according to the animal desired to be captured, being used more frequently in the obtaining of porcupines.

Traps for elephants are made by the digging of a large pit of sufficient size to admit one of these huge creatures At the bottom of this pit a great number of sharp-pointed bamboos are struck firmly in an upright position in the ground. The top is roofed in by boughs of trees and leaves and the animals are then driven towards these traps, and on their treading upon the weak roofing it gives way and the poor animal falls headlong into the pit, the short bamboos ofttimes causing the animal great torture. Once in the trap, however, it is soon dispatched, and the bones which contain the tusks are then carried to the village to decorate the front verandah. Where the British Government, however, has power, elephant hunting is now forbidden.

The Lakhers (Mara) have a great number of smaller snares used for catching jungle fowl, peacock pheasants, black pheasants and the like which are numerous, but the general principle of them all is the bent-over sapling or bamboo, to form the power to draw the noose tight around the creature’s neck. There, however, is one other kind of trap which is often used and is formed by falling of a log of wood on the victim’s back, smashing it and wedging the victim under its heavy weight. This form is used for killing tigers, birds and even for rats, but it greatly damages game, smashing almost every bone in their bodies to splinters and bruising the flesh greatly.

Bird lime for snaring small birds is also used, and is obtained from the juice of a species of rubber tree which is found through out the country, and which when smeared on the branches of trees will secure any small bird easily, being soon dispatched by the trapper.

One other trap is worthy of mention and is used in catching jungle rats, porcupines and any boring animals. A long basket of bamboo lattice-work is made which is just sufficiently wide enough in diameter to admit of the animal passing along it. At one end it is closed, at the other end open. The open end is placed into the hole of the animals and supported by sticks of wood underneath and securely fastened. The porcupine or rat, as the case may be, on coming to the exit of its hole will observe the lattice basket, and finding no other way out will immediately commence to force its way through, believing that at the other end there is an exit. Once inside the basket it is impossible for the animal to turn. On it endeavouring to turn round, the lattice-work is plaited in such a way that it contracts and holds the body of the animal firm, making it only possible for the animal to go on, which, owing to the end being closed up, it is unable to do, and has no alternative but to wait there until its trapper dispatches it.

Jungle rats are very much appreciated by the people, who eat their flesh. Not troubling to skin the animals, they stick a skewer through their bodies, hold them over the flame of fire which burns off all the hair and chars the skin, and is a sufficient cleansing for this people, who not only eat their flesh but eat their bones and their entrails as well, as a rule. The difference between a jungle rat and house rat is this. The house rat is brown all over, while the jungle rat has a jungle rat has a snow-white belly.

There are several other species of rats in the country which are not as a rule eaten. Two are specially worthy of notice – the black rat which will kill your large fowls in a very short space of time and carry away your chicken in great numbers. The second species is the bamboo rat, which lives entirely on the roots of bamboos and is a much larger animal, generally the size of a young rabbit with long incisor teeth with which it can cut through the toughest of bamboo roots. These rats are generally coloured, but once specimen which it was our privilege to obtain was snowy white, the only specimen of its sort which we have ever seen.

Weaving in Mizoram

I have been fortunate to have access to books written on Mizoram (Lushai Hills) during the “earlier days”. The breadth of the language and the richness of descriptions in these books have been a lesson on writing. The pictures in these books, some of which I had also come across earlier, depict local people then, wrapped in long cloths. I used to wonder whether they brought clothes from the plains or made them and in case of the later how did they procure the ingredients ~ Further, reading of “Lushei Kuki Clans" By Lt Colonel J Shakespear and "5 Years in Unknown Jungles" by R. A. Lorrain has made me aware to another of the amazing skill sets that used to exist here in this regard, yet another facet of people’s relationship with a natural resource.

I share select but fascinating details here ~

This is from 5 Years in Unknown Jungles ~

The weaving loom is then brought out, and with cotton grown and manufactured by themselves they make some very pretty cloths, decorating them very artistically with various beautiful designs, some of their cloths taking them months to complete, sometimes a year or more. Red, black, yellow and gold are the general colours employed in the making of this cloth, but the gold is always silk, procured from a silk moth not by the Lakhers themselves but by the hillsmen over the Burmese frontier, who once a year pass through the country in order to barter away the silk which they have obtained.

Weaving is a very tedious occupation, and the women show great skill and patience in their undertakings, the threads of the cloth being very carefully arranged. They obtain their black dye from the indigo plant which they cultivate, while their red and yellow cotton is obtained by boiling the white cotton with various roots dug in the jungle.

The cotton plant is grown upon their cultivations, and they make out of wood an instrument similar to a mangle for seeding the same, the raw cotton passing through the rollers and the cotton seeds in this way being pushed out. After the cotton has been seeded they flick it out and with a bow made of bamboo and a taut string, which they keep on flicking against the cotton, causing it to become like down. This down-like cotton is then carded, that is rolled out with the hands into pencil shaped rolls of about 6 to 9 inches long.

After this another instrument is then brought into use, a wheel made of wood around which a string acting as a band is placed, the other end of it encircling a rounded piece of wood on the end of a steel pin. As the handle of the wheel is turned so that steel pin revolves at a great rate, and in a very clever manner the carded cotton is touched against this steel spindle and is drawn out into thread. This thread, however, is not of sufficient strength to be of any use. It is therefore tied on to the end of a bamboo, which is weighted at one end by a disc of bone from the foot of the elephant, and this is the article with which one will see a woman when on her way to the jungle to fetch wood or water, carrying in her hand and spinning the weighted bamboo round, at the same time running her fingers nimbly up and down the thread, causing it to twist into strong cotton.

After this process has been completed it is wound into skeins and placed in rice water, which is boiled for many hours, afterwards the skeins of cotton being placed on a bamboo rack and stretched out to dry in the sun, during which process it is combed vigourously with a comb made from the fruit of the screw pine, all stray ends being in this manner separated from the cotton. This process of boiling in rice water is continued several times, and at last this skein of cotton are placed on a large winding wheel and is wound into balls ready for use.

Indigo dye is made by the pounding of indigo leaves and the boiling of the same, after which the cotton is dipped into the dye and hung up to dry in the sun, this process being repeated many times in order to get a sufficient deepness of colour.

Passing down the village street with the huts ranged on either side, one notices outside most of them a raised bamboo platform where some old Lakher woman may be seen squatting, sorting her tray full of freshly gathered cotton, placing the good in one heap and the bade in another.

This from Lushei and Kuki Clans ~

Cloth Manufacture-

Cotton in grown in the jhums. It is cleaned in a home-made gin, consisting of a frame holding two wooden rollers, one end of each being carved for a few inches of its length into a screw, grooved in the opposite way to the other, so that on the handle being turned the rollers revolve in opposite directions, and the cotton is drawn between them, the seeds being left behind. The cotton is then worked by hand into rolls a few inches long, whence it is spun into the spindle of a rough spinning wheel, or occasionally a bobbin is used, which being given a sharp twist, draws the cotton into a thread by its own weight. This method admits of diligent ones spinning as they go to and from their jhums. The thread having been spun, it is thoroughly wetted and then hung in loops some three or four feet long over a horizontal bar, and stretched by several heavy bars being suspended in these loops.

Weaving -

The warp is prepared by passing the thread round two smooth pieces of wood, one of which is fastened to two uprights, while the ends of the other are attached to the ends of a broad leather band, which passes behind the back of the weaver as she sits on the ground and, by leaning back, stretches the threads to the requisite degree of tightness. The woof is formed by passing to and fro bamboos round which are wound different coloured threads, which are beaten home with a well polished batten made of sago palm.

A very serviceable form of quilt called puanpui is made by passing round every fourth or fifth thread of the warp a small roll of raw cotton and drawing both ends up. A row of these cotton rolls is put in after every fourth or fifth thread of the woof, so that on one side the quilt is composed of closely tufts of cotton.

Dyeing -

The commonest dye is obtained by boiling the leaves of the Assam indigo (Strobilanthes flaccidifolia). Many immersions are required to render the colour permanent ad as the plan, which is cultivated near the villages or in the gardens, does not grow luxuriantly, it is seldom possible to obtain enough heaves in any one year for more than two immersions, so that the whole process may take two or three years.

Several read and yellow dyes are known, but they are little used, and most of the thread, excepting the blue and while is obtained from the bazaars.

Yellow bellied Weasel

Yellow-bellied Weasel Mustela kathiah records from Mizoram, India
Nimesh VED and S. LALRAMNUNA


Abstract
This note presents two records of Yellow-bellied Weasel Mustela kathiah from Mizoram, North-east India. These appear to be the only confirmed recent reports of this mustelid in the state.


Key words: Yellow-bellied Weasel, Mustelidae, Saiha, North-east India


Mizoram India atanga Yellow-bellied Weasel Mustela kathiah hmuhchhuah chhinchhiahna


Chanchin Tlangpui

He thuziak tawi hian India hmarchhak a awm, Mizoram atanga hmuhchhuah Yellow-bellied Weasel Mustela kathiah chhinchhiahna pahnih chungchang a sawi a ni. Hei hi, he state-a hetiang mustelid chungchang sawina nemngheh neih hnaivai awmchhun niin a lang.

Thumal Pawimawh: Yellow-bellied Weasel, Mustelidae, Saiha, North-east India

Introduction

The Yellow-bellied Weasel Mustela kathiah has a relatively wide Asian range, occurring from northern India east through the Himalaya, much of southern China and northern South-east Asia (Corbet & Hill 1992). A hill-dwelling species, it is found between 1,000 m and 2,000 m elevation; in winter it may come down to lower than 1,000 m (Choudhury 1997, 1999). Very little is known about its biology and ecology (Hussain 1999). Small mustelids investigated to date show high habitat plasticity, but the habitat requirements of tropical Mustela populations remain effectively unknown, and it may be rash to extrapolate conservation needs from those of primarily Holarctic species (Abramov et al. in press). Apparently no Mustela species has ever been studied in South-east Asia and Yellow-bellied Weasel’s habitat use remains little known in that region (Duckworth & Robichaud 2005). Hence, this note places on record its occurrence in an area far from other recent detailed records.

North-eastern India, comprising the states of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Meghalaya and Tripura, forms part of a rich biogeographic unit and is among the biodiversity "hotspots" of the world (Choudhury 1999, Myers et al. 2000). The Yellow-bellied Weasel is known by very few records in north-eastern India historically: Sangrachu and Mokokchaung in the Naga Hills were the only localities known to Pocock (1941). It has been recorded from Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Assam and Manipur (Choudhury 1999), and there is one historical specimen from Mizoram: a skin and skull of a female collected in the Lushai Hills, Sangao, on 16 February 1953 by W N Koelz, and held in the Field Museum, Chicago, USA; specimen n° 75807 (Choudhury 2001; L. R. Heaney in litt. 2008). Elsewhere in north-east India, a fresh skin was seen with a local in Sape village, Sarli circle in Lower Subansiri district, Arunachal Pradesh (Kumar 1999), and a killed specimen was on sale at Kohima market, Nagaland, as food in 1997 (Choudhury 2000); its current status in Assam is unclear (Choudhury 1997). Beyond Indian political boundaries too, to the east of Mizoram, it has been recently recorded in Laos, Thailand, and Myanmar (e.g. Duckworth & Robichaud 2005, Than Zaw et al. 2008).


Mizoram (21°57′–24º30′N, 92°15′–93º29′E) is located in the extreme southern part of north-eastern India, and has a geographical area of 21,081 km² (0.6% of India’s geographical area). Mizoram has three major forest types, Tropical Wet Evergreen, Tropical Moist Deciduous and Subtropical Pine Forests, and is rich in wild flora and fauna, both in variety and abundance. A perusal of secondary literature and consultations with biologists, forest department personnel and others in the state familiar with its conservation values revealed that while in general the biological and conservation values were relatively poorly researched throughout the state, south Mizoram was particularly in the proverbial rain shadow of conservation attention. A total of 42 species of mammals were recorded from recent wildlife surveys. Of these, 34 species were detected directly during the survey, while the other eight were recorded through interviews with hunters and examination of trophies, animal remains and pets (Datta-Roy et al. 2007). The survey does not mention the Yellow-bellied Weasel.


We work towards designing and implementing a conservation education and awareness programme in Saiha region in South Mizoram in partnership with the forest department of Mara Autonomous District Council.

Fig: 1.

Records

We saw a freshly dead Yellow-bellied Weasel at Tuipang (22º 31′33″ N, 93º 02′40″ E; the headquarters of Tuipang block in Saiha district; about 1,250–1,300 m asl) on 17 June 2008. The weasel had been caught in a trap set in the jhum (shifting cultivation) fields earlier during the day and was dead before we saw it. These non-baited traps, known as ‘mangkhawng’, are made using small logs and placed on the edge of crop fields. This particular trap that caught the weasel was about 2.0–2.5 km from the town in a mosaic of old, new, and current shifting cultivation plots with some village supply and safety reserves. The animal was recognised by the people and is locally referred to as ‘sarivaithun’ or ‘zuhri’. It is an aggressive animal and stays in tree holes (Pu P. Sangkhuma verbally July 2008). It eats rats and is not eaten by the local com
munity on account of its pungent smell, so is instead thrown away (Pu Lambu and Pu J. Biakmawia verbally June 2008). It is therefore a by-catch in the traps primarily set for catching squirrels, rats, and civets. These traps are laid for procuring meat and at the same time get rid of crop pests. We were able to take close photographs of the weasel body, which was wet with rain (Fig. 1). The specimen however remained unsexed.

In Aizawl (capital of Mizoram) we saw a preserved specimen of the Yellow-bellied Weasel at the Mizoram State Museum on 18 July 2008. This stuffed specimen (serial number 419) was referred to as ‘sarivaithun’. With permission from the museum curator we were able to take photographs of the specimen. According to the museum authorities the specimen was taken from ‘Chite lui’ (23º 45′N, 92º 43′E), a river (lui in Mizo) near Aizawl city, in August 1993.

Concluding remarks

The Yellow-bellied Weasels in the trap and the museum, and the awareness of the locals pertaining to the species, including local names, confirm the presence of this mustelid as resident in the state.

Hunting is culturally sanctioned and widely practiced in Saiha region. It impacts wildlife including weasels in a negative fashion. Select myths and beliefs that exist in the local society exacerbate the pressure on wildlife. We therefore believe that regular communications focusing on natural values occurring in region are pertinent towards wildlife conservation in these remote forested lands. These communications need to be sensitive to local cultural values and mores and undertaken with students in schools and also locally relevant institutions like youth associations and village council members that form an integral part of these societies.


Acknowledgements

We are indebted to Kashmira Kakati, Larry Heaney, Will Duckworth, and Aparajita Datta for their guidance in writing this note, help with species identification and sharing of papers and records. We are thankful for the support provided by the forest department of Mara Autonomous District Council. Special acknowledgements are due to Pu Thaly Azyu, Pu Vabeikhaihmo Solo and Pu V. Laihlao for sharing their vast knowledge of the region, its wildlife, and helping with our visits. We are thankful to Pu Laltlanhlua Zathang at Mizoram State Forest Department Aizawl for sharing his knowledge on wildlife of the state. We thank the curator of the Mizoram State Museum at Aizawl, Pu P. Sangkhuma for the permission to take pictures of the exhibits and sharing valuable details on the exhibit. We thank Pu Lambu and Pu J. Biakmawia for helping with local names and practices. We thank Anirban Dutta Roy and Arpan Sharma for sharing their experiences in the region. Sincere gratitude is due to the donors who have supported Samrakshan’s efforts in Mizoram till date: Primate Conservation International, World Wildlife Fund, Columbus Zoo, and Margot Marsh Biodiversity Foundation.

References

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Small Carnivore Conservation, Vol. 39: 35–36, October 2008

Samrakshan Trust, House No: 153, New Saiha West, Saiha 796901, Mizoram, India


Email:Nimesh.ved@gmail.com

 Fig. 1. Recently trapped Yellow-bellied Weasel Mustela kathiah, Tuipang, Mizoram, 17 June 2008.


Link to the note in journal - http://smallcarnivoreconservation.org/sccwiki/images/3/37/SCC39_Ved_and_Lalramnuna.pdf