Nagaland’s rich tradition of wildlife conservation practices, embedded in folklore, rituals and community life, is set to be documented under a national-level initiative led by the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI).
With consent from the Nagaland State Biodiversity Board, a team of researchers will undertake a project titled “Documentation of Traditional Knowledge in Wildlife Conservation” in different parts of the state.
The initiative aims to record indigenous ecological knowledge through field-based engagement with local communities, including tribal elders, forest dwellers and traditional practitioners. Researchers will document oral histories, folklore, rituals and practices associated with wildlife, along with vernacular names and cultural beliefs.
The project will involve interviews, group discussions and audio-visual documentation, including photography and recordings, with prior consent from communities and in accordance with local customs.
Nagaland has been identified as a key region for the study due to its strong tradition of community-led conservation and its large number of community reserves. The exercise is expected to explore how indigenous knowledge systems contribute to human-wildlife coexistence.
According to official communication, the project will be carried out after signing a tripartite agreement involving the researchers, local community authorities and the biodiversity board, as required under the state’s biodiversity rules.
The documentation is part of a broader national effort to create a digital repository of traditional ecological knowledge, which could inform future conservation strategies and awareness initiatives.