Manipur: Forest officials sight near threatened antelope at Tamei

Imphal: The forest officials of Tamei forest ranges on Friday sighted an endangered goat-antelope species, the Burmese red serow - locally known as 'Sabeng' at the Tamei Forest Range in Manipur's Tamenglong district bordering Assam and Nagaland, said an official on Saturday.

The authority listed the wild goat antelope as near threatened in the IUCN list, and the volunteer captured the species in the camera traps set up on Friday, forest officials said. 

Tamenglong Forest Division staff and local volunteers have captured multiple photos of this rare species in the community forests of Nallong, Lemta, and Lenglong villages in the Tamei Forest Range of Manipur.

Notably, the red serow (Capricornis rubidus), also called the Burmese red serow, is a goat-antelope native to southern Bangladesh and northern Myanmar (formerly Burma). People used to hunt this heavily for its meat.

Moreover, authorities listed this rare species, once plentiful in the state, in Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972, which signifies the highest protection for wildlife.

Meanwhile, the Zeliangrong United Front (ZUF) has called for the protection and preservation of fauna, flora, and rare species for a healthier environment. With almost 90 percent of the district under forest cover, Tamenglong has the highest area under forest in Manipur. Since it is a part of the Indo-Myanmar biodiversity hotspot, the dense forests of Tamenglong are home to a wide variety of wildlife.