Why an Arunachal Tribe Chose To Switch From Hunters to Protectors of the Rare Bengal Florican

‘What is this called?’ Ipra Mekola, who identifies as a community conservationist with a focus on the Bengal florican, asks a group of students. 

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They recite the species name in unison. 

Ensuring they know to identify the Bengal bustard — listed as critically endangered by the IUCN — is Ipra’s first goal. If the children come across the bird, they should understand the significance of the sighting and also advocate for its protection. 

Watching the curiosity of the children of his Idu Mishmi tribe, native to Lower Dibang Valley in Arunachal Pradesh, where he lives, makes Ipra happy. It mirrors his enthusiasm for discovering the bird many years ago. 

Once a hunter, Ipra felt no remorse killing birds; it was a part of his tribe’s traditions. 

“One day, my brother and I found a bird on the riverbank, and we were about to kill it. The bird was big and had three claws — a taboo in our community,” Ipra explains. So, the duo consulted with a forest ranger about the “strange bird” they had just killed. 

But the ranger had never seen such a species. But he owned a book that would have the answer. The book was authored by Salim Ali, hailed for his seminal work on Indian ornithology, and, as the trio scanned the first page, they spotted their bird. The name under it read: Bengal florican. 

Further reading told them that the species they had just killed was already in decline across the world. Fewer than 800 Bengal floricans are found globally.

That’s the moment Ipra decided to devote his life to advocating for it. The next few years shaped his understanding of the bird. He learnt, “The female species of the bird is a lot bigger than the male. During March and April is their period of courtship, when the male extends its neck and flaps its wings to attract the female.” 

He also learnt how vital grasslands are to the Bengal florican, with them preferring areas with shorter grass heights. “It made me realise the diversity in grasslands. It also taught me that if we want to save the Bengal florican, we have to save grasslands,” Ipra shares, adding that this prompted him to start working towards the protection of wildlife. 

His first sign of validation was the day he was able to spot seven of the Bengal floricans on a small patch of grassland where once there were none. 

But what really thrills him, he says, is when the children of his tribe turn into birding guides, taking tourists to the spots where the Bengal florican thrives, and explaining its significance. Ipra is proud of how his community is leading the way in conservation.

This story is part of a content series by The Better India and Roundglass Sustain.

All pictures courtesy Roundglass Sustain