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)