13th Balipara Foundation Award recognises his documentation on Indian flying frog habitat in Yaongyimchen
Yimkongangba of Nagaland was conferred the Green Journalist Award at the 13th Balipara Foundation Award Ceremony and the Eastern Himalayas Naturenomic Forum held in Guwahati on December 11.
The award was presented by Dr Rathin Barman, Director and Chief Strategy and Liaison (Northeast), Balipara Foundation, in recognition of Yimkongangba’s documentation and reporting on biodiversity and conservation in Nagaland.
A 24-year-old self-taught wildlife photographer from Longleng district, Yimkongangba has spent the last three years studying Pterorana khare, commonly known as the Indian flying frog.
His work led to the confirmation of a second known habitat of the species in Nagaland, located at the Yaongyimchen Community Biodiversity Conservation Area (YCBCA).
The discovery was reported by Mokokchung Times earlier this year in February.
The Indian flying frog is listed as Vulnerable and has been recorded from only a few locations across Northeast India. Yimkongangba’s documentation from YCBCA also marks the northernmost known record of the species’ distribution in the country, expanding scientific understanding of its range.
RECAP | How Yimkongangba, a self-taught wildlife photographer from Longleng, discovered a new habitat for the Indian flying frog
Working largely independently in the remote forested landscapes of Longleng, Yimkongangba relied on field observations, photographic evidence, and long-term tracking of the species’ seasonal behaviour, including its spawning and hibernation patterns. His work was carried out within community-managed forests, stressing the role of local conservation areas in protecting lesser-known species.
The Balipara Foundation Award and Naturenomic Forum recognises individuals and initiatives contributing to ecological conservation and sustainable development in the Eastern Himalayas.
