Project hunt: an assessment of wildlife hunting practices by local community in Chizami, Nagaland, India

Abstract

Hunting is suggested as a major threat to Indian wildlife, especially in the northeastern states. In Nagaland hunting has a traditional and cultural significance, which should be taken into consideration by conservation efforts. Limited information is available on this issue, and in order to establish a baseline for efforts aimed at education and implementation of conservation programmes, in this study we investigated various aspects of hunting practices in Chizami Village, Nagaland. Our study involved general voting by 868 people and detailed interviews of 80 hunters, and explores the demography of hunters, hunting areas, hunting preference for season and animals, methods of hunting, reasons for hunting and willingness to cease hunting. Our results indicate that education could be an important primer for initiating biological conservation efforts in Chizami and other areas.