October 7: The Centre Chakhesang Youth Organization (CCYO) has strongly condemned what it described as a “misleading, concocted and false” statement made by Nagaland Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) and Head of Forest Force (HoFF) Vedpal Singh during a Wildlife Week programme at Mokokchung on October 6.
In a press statement issued on Wednesday, the CCYO alleged that the Forest Department’s account of the detention of Vezhoto Hesuh was an attempt to create a false narrative and justify his detention in connection with the rescue and care of birds.
According to the CCYO, the owl involved in the case was rescued by a minor boy from Porba village after it was found wet, weak and apparently helpless near a footpath leading to the fields during rainy weather. The organisation maintained that the bird was not captured from the jungle and was never kept in a cage.
The CCYO further claimed that the owl became accustomed to human care but was eventually able to fly back into its natural habitat.
On the Great Barbet, the organisation said the bird was found injured by a minor boy returning from the field and was taken home and cared for over several years. The CCYO said the bird holds traditional significance for the community and is regarded as a “natural or traditional clock” because of its distinctive call.
The organisation argued that caring for rescued or injured birds and animals has historically been part of the community’s customary relationship with nature.
The CCYO also questioned the Forest Department’s handling of the Great Barbet after it was allegedly seized from Porba. It claimed the bird was reportedly healthy when taken by officials but was returned in a weakened condition and allegedly unable to fly properly.
According to the organisation, villagers subsequently cared for the bird, fed it and helped restore its strength before it returned to the jungle. The CCYO said a video of the bird feeding on wild berries in the jungle was also shared with the Forest Department.
The youth organisation raised five questions before the PCCF and HoFF, including why residents who rescue injured or helpless birds should be treated as offenders while animals are kept in captivity in zoos.
It also questioned the specific basis for detaining Vezhoto Heshu, stating that the birds in question were allegedly rescued and cared for by villagers of Porba rather than removed from their natural habitat.
The CCYO further questioned whether an alleged confession by Hesuh was obtained under pressure or coercion, and whether the same wildlife-enforcement standards would be applied to influential individuals, VIPs and politicians allegedly keeping wild animals and birds in private properties.
The CCYO also questioned whether the Wildlife Week programme at Mokokchung was intended to promote genuine wildlife conservation awareness or was being used to justify Hesuh’s detention.
The organisation called for wildlife conservation efforts to respect local communities, customary practices and the traditional relationship between the Naga people and their land, forests and wildlife.
It urged the PCCF and HoFF to provide an immediate and clear clarification on the issues raised and refrain from what it termed misleading statements concerning Vezhoto Hesuh and the people of Porba.
