The 9th Pakke Paga HornBill Festival

Blog Credit: Trupti Thakur

Image Courtesy: Google

9th Edition of Pakke Paga HornBill festival

 

The 9th Pakke Paga Hornbill Festival (PPHF) will be held from January 18-20, 2024 in Arunachal Pradesh. Declared A State Festival, it centers around wildlife conservation, especially hornbills found in the Pakke Tiger Reserve.

Hornbill Species in Focus

The reserve harbors four hornbill species – Oriental Pied, Great Indian, Rufous-necked and the endangered Wreathed Hornbill. The week-long event generates awareness on preserving these iconic birds.

Linking Forest, Birds and People

PPHF also spotlights the role of indigenous Nyishi tribes in protecting hornbills after having earlier hunted them. It forges connections between forests, wildlife and local communities. The Nyishi is the largest tribal group in Arunachal Pradesh. The Nyishi tribe used to hunt hornbills traditionally and utilized their distinctive bills to create ethnic headgear. However, over time the Nyishi transformed into champions protecting the same hornbills that were once targeted.

Festival Origins and Goal

The first PPHF was organized in 2015 with the goal to recognize Nyishi conservation efforts. Beyond promoting hornbill conservation, other key goals of launching the Hornbill Festival were generating alternate livelihood streams for locals and raising nationwide awareness regarding the unique biodiversity found in Pakke Tiger Reserve and adjoining areas.

“Let Our Hornbills Remain”

This year’s theme stresses the critical need to safeguard hornbills for balancing the region’s ecosystems and culture. The onset of deforestation and climate threats lend urgency.

Activities at Upcoming Edition

Key activities lined up include:

• Bird watching tours
• Literary competitions
• Panel discussions
• Tribal music/dance performances
• River walks
• Local cuisine

The activities provide unique glimpses into the area’s natural and ethnic heritage while raising ecological awareness.

Pakke Paga Hornbill Festival (PPHF)

• About: It is a state festival of Arunachal Pradesh.
• First PPHF: It was held on January 16-18, 2015
• Aim: Recognising the efforts of the Nyishi hunters-turned-conservationists of hornbills.
• Focus: Four species of the birds — Wreathed, Great Indian, Oriental Pied and the endangered Rufous-necked — are found in the Pakke Tiger Reserve (PTR) of Arunachal Pradesh.

The area is also home to the Nyishi, the largest tribal group in Arunachal Pradesh.

• Other Activities: Bird-watching, butterfly walks, bear walks, hornbill roost site visits, literary competitions, MTB cycling, short film screenings, panel discussions, cultural programs, food stalls, plays, sightseeing tours, river and village walks, as well as displays of local tribal sports and dances.

 

Great Hornbill:

• Hornbills are large, fruit-eating birds found along certain fleshy fruit trees.

Ecological role: They are responsible for dispersing undamaged seeds in large patches away from mother plant, thereby creating fruit orchards.

• Great Indian Hornbill is the state bird of Kerala and Arunachal Pradesh.
• Distribution: The hornbills are found in tropical and subtropical Africa and Asia.
• Conservation Status of Great Indian Hornbill: IUCN: Vulnerable; Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972: Schedule I; Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES):

• The 9th edition of the Pakke Paga Hornbill Festival (PPHF) is set to take place in Arunachal Pradesh, highlighting the region’s commitment to wildlife conservation, with a special focus on hornbills.
• This festival, scheduled from January 18-20, 2024, at Seijosa in the Pakke Kessang district, brings together diverse communities to unite in their efforts to protect these iconic birds and promote environmental awareness.

Pakke Paga Hornbill Festival

• • Festival’s Theme:“Domutoh Domutoh, Paga hum Domutoh”
  • Meaning: Translating to “Let Our Hornbills Remain” in the Nyishi language, this year’s theme underscores the critical importance of preserving these magnificent birds.
  • Conservation Advocacy: PPHF serves as a platform to advocate for the protection of hornbill populations and their natural habitats.

Emphasis on Wildlife Conservation

• • Hornbill Species: The Pakke Tiger Reserve (PTR) in Arunachal Pradesh is home to four hornbill species: Wreathed, Great Indian, Oriental Pied, and the endangered Rufous-necked hornbill.
  • Nyishi Tribal Contribution: The festival recognizes the Nyishi, Arunachal Pradesh’s largest tribal group, for their pivotal role in hornbill conservation. They transitioned from hunting hornbills to becoming advocates for their preservation.
  • Alternative Income: PPHF aims to generate alternative sources of income for the region and raise awareness about PTR and its surroundings, fostering economic development while preserving the environment.
    • IUCN status:Vulnerable (uplisted from Near Threatened in 2018), CITES: Appendix I
  • The great hornbill (Buceros bicornis) also known as the great Indian hornbill or great pied hornbill, is one of the larger members of the hornbill family.
  • The great hornbill is long-lived, living for nearly 50 years in captivity.
  • It is predominantly fruit-eating, but is an opportunist and preys on small mammals, reptiles and birds.
  • Its impressive size and colour have made it important in many tribal cultures and rituals.
  • A large majority of their population is found in India with a significant proportion in the Western Ghats and the Nilgiris.
  • The nesting grounds of the birds in the Nilgiris North Eastern Range are also believed to support some of their highest densities.
  • Referred to as ‘forest engineers’ or ‘farmers of the forest’ for playing a key role in dispersing seeds of tropical trees, hornbills indicate the prosperity and balance of the forest they build nests.

 

 

 

Blog By: Trupti Thakur