Manipur on High Alert as Satellite-Tagged Amur Falcons Begin Return
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Two satellite-tagged Amur falcons, Apapang and Alang, have kicked off their southbound migration, covering over 1,200 kilometres since leaving northeastern China on October 10.
Monitored by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) under the Manipur Amur Falcon Tracking Project, the long-distance raptors are expected to arrive at their seasonal stopovers in Manipur by October 20.
The impending arrival has triggered strict conservation mandates. Tamenglong District Magistrate Dr L. Angshim Dangshawa issued a prohibitory order banning the hunting, trapping, and sale of the falcons, alongside directing locals to surrender their air guns.
Concurrently, small batches of the flock have already been sighted by residents in Guangram village.
"Yes, they have started arriving in small batches," confirmed Tamenglong Divisional Forest Officer Amit Kelar.
Wildlife scientists are tracking the transcontinental journey closely. "Apapang and Alang stayed in northeastern China longer than expected this season," shared Dr Suresh Kumar of the WII. "They have now begun their southward journey and are expected to reach Manipur around October 20."
The species travels up to 20,000 km annually from East Asia to Southern Africa, relying heavily on Northeast India's seasonal termites to refuel.