DIMAPUR, Oct 7� Pangti village in Wokha district of Nagaland woke up excitedly to greet the season�s first Amur Falcons on Tuesday morning. A small flock of about 100 falcons flew over the Pangti Baptist Church located at the highest point in the Sungro range at 5.30 am. They were later seen flying over the Doyang Reservoir � their stopover for the next six weeks before they resume their journey towards southern Africa, according to Nagaland Wildlife and Biodiversity Conservation Trust.
All villages in the range are fully geared to ensure safe passage of the falcons as they did last year. The Nagaland Government has assisted the local community to erect watchtowers and rest sheds for visitors coming in to see the spectacle of migrating Amur Falcons. This year the community has created a low impact ecotourism model through basic home stays to take care of the guests.
The Pangti Village Council, who has supported the conservation initiatives of the government and local NGOs, has been awarded with several national and international recognitions.
According to Bano Haralu, managing trustee, Nagaland Wildlife and Biodiversity Conservation Trust (NWBCT), the Trust whose �Friends of the Amur Falcon� programme is in its third year will continue its education programme via its ecoclubs. She said they will be adding two more ecoclubs targeting more school children and more villages which the falcons visit. The annual phenomenon of the migration of the 'marathon bird' will form the backdrop for a nature camp that NWBCT will conduct from October 8 to 11.
All eyes will be in this corner of the world which earned Nagaland the title �Falcon capital of the world�.
