Forgotten Cats of Shergaon

Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary spreads over 218 sq. Km area and hosts a variety of mammal species, including four small cat species namely the clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa), marbled cat (Felis marmorata), leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis) and golden cats (Catopuma temmincki). The altitude and habitat are suitable for small cats in the neighbouring forests of Shergaon, and its contiguity with Eagle Nest Sanctuary is a reason to believe that small cats can be found in these forests.

The majority of this landscape around Shergaon is occupied by the indigenous Sherdukpen community. The Sherdukpen are an ethnic group from Arunachal Pradesh in Northeast India, who are a group of over 4200 people settled in villages of the West Kameng district, namely Rupa, Thongri, and Shergaon near Bomdilla. Traditional hunting practices, as well as the pressures brought in by urbanization, have drastically affected the unique wildlife found along the Eastern Himalayan foothills.

The Sherdhukpen community residing in this region have also reported sightings of species like golden cats and clouded leopards in this landscape, but there is a lack of confirmed documentation of these species.

Consequently, the forest patch adjoining the Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary is critical for wildlife dispersal towards adjacent forest habitats in Arunachal Pradesh and Assam in India and also forests in Bhutan across the international border. These forested habitats are not a part of India’s Protected Area Network and lack the required levels of protection from the Government or community, thereby making the forest vulnerable to anthropogenic threats like hunting, tree felling and illegal encroachment. This project aims to work with the community and have them set aside these community forests for conservation and take an active role in protecting them.

The project and its beginnings

WTI has been working with our conservation partners in Shergoan, Garung Thuk since 2017, through its Wild Aid Projects, and has gained their trust over these past five years. Garung Thuk is our local partner for this project for lobbying with the Shergaon Village Council to mobilize the Sherdhukpen community to help protect the forest as a community forest. The project is being supported by Felis, Eicher Group Foundation (EGF) and Shapoorji Pallonji Pandoh Takoli Highway Pvt. Ltd.

The project mandate falls within WTI’s Wild Lands Big Idea – to secure 200,000 hectares of critical habitats outside the traditional PA system, especially habitat linkages, wetlands, grasslands, community reserves, Important Bird Areas and sacred groves as it focuses on working with the Sherdhukpen community to protect the Shergaon Forests, which lies outside India’s Protected Area network. The project also falls within the institutional mandate of focusing on lesser-known species, by working on small cats and their habitats.

In order to achieve our goal, an intensive systematic seasonal survey will be conducted during wet and dry periods. First, the study area of 40 km² would have a survey grid each measuring 1 km² and within each grid two camera traps would be placed facing each other at a height of 15-30 cm above ground. A minimum distance of 1km would be maintained between camera trap stations. The study area will be divided into two parts. Site selection for camera trap deployment can be done based on a reconnaissance survey. We can keep the camera traps operational for 15 to 30 days, depending on resource availability.

Working in collaboration with the Sherdukpen community, the project will also aim to provide the Shergaon forests with a level of protection and manage them as a community forest.

In addition to this, Sherdukpen community members would also be trained through capacity building exercises, which will include nature guide training so that a sustainable eco-tourism model in Shergaon can be established through which local wildlife in the forest can be showcased to tourists, mostly from the global mammal or nature watcher communities.

The project in Shergaon will also be used as a pilot to spearhead a larger project on small cats in Northeast India.

PARTNERS: Felis, Eicher Group Foundation (EGF), Shapoorji Pallonji Pandoh Takoli Highway Pvt. Ltd., and Garung Thuk

PROJECT LEAD: Amrit Menon