Arunachal Pradesh: Tribal turns this village into a bird sanctuary

Arunachal Pradesh’s Singchung Bagun Village Community Reserve is winning hearts of the netizens for its novel cause. The reserve built to preserve a rare species of bird was set up after researchers, the Bagun tribe from the state, and the forest department officials joined hands to build this community reserve.

The idea to build this reserve was first conceptualised in 1995, when Athreya decided to pay a visit to the Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary, in Arunachal Pradesh. Athreya, an astronomer, who was pursuing PhD at that time, was spellbound at the sight of a bird, which he hadn’t seen or known before. Further, the natural beauty of the spot surprised him to the extent that he felt the potential of tourism in this place.
He then decided to launch a community tourism project on the forest land that was mostly owned by the Bugun tribes. Although he explained the concept behind his idea to the Buguns, they were initially sceptical about it as they thought that this might mean lead to them losing their lands to build a community reserve.
Later on, forest department officials and researchers helped to convince the Buguns, mapped the area, collected wildlife data, and chalked out a plan to manage the reserve. The villagers then decided to turn 17 sq km of their land into a community reserve, as they also believed that it is important for them to protect water sources and forests.
That rare species of bird, which was seen by Athreya, had been named as Bugun Liochila, whereas the Bugun tribe believe that the bird had become a boon for their lives. The spot now attracts tons of visitors every year, and the Baguns also conduct various kinds of sightseeing and adventure activities to keep the visitors engaged.