Camera traps spot rare vibrant creature in India forest. ‘Promising haven'
An organization in India saw a rare bird on their camera traps.
Screengrab from ENFOGAL's Instagram video
In forests of the far east of India, camera traps are giving an organization a closer look at their natural environment.
ENFOGAL, or Environmental Force At Grass Root Level, is a non-governmental group working out of the Ukhrul District of India. Their goal is to protect the environment through local initiatives with a focus on youth.
Part of that mission involved placing camera traps around the town of Shirui to see what they would find.
During recent checks of these traps, the organization made a discovery they are calling 'another breakthrough.'
'Once again, we have been fortunate to capture an image of a rare species thanks to the use of camera traps,' the organization said in a May 5 Instagram post.
A video shows people trudging through the thick forest, climbing up and over large branches and trees to reach the remote locations where the cameras were placed.
When they find the cameras, the organization members pull out a laptop, and a brightly-colored bird appears on the screen, the video shows.
The video shows a Blyth's tragopan, a rare bird from the same family as pheasants, partridges, turkeys and grouse, according to Bird Life.
'Shirui is truly emerging as a promising haven for bird enthusiasts, and it's heartening to see such precious wildlife being documented and appreciated,' the organization said.
Blyth's tragopans are listed as a vulnerable species, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List, and their numbers are decreasing.
Males of the species have a gray breast and belly with a spotted back and bright yellow, orange or red faces, according to the IUCN. Females are more gray and don't have the distinctive vibrant head.
The birds are found in Bhutan, northeastern India, Myanmar, Tibet and China, according to Bird Life.
The species is considered vulnerable, and rare, because there is a small population that is geographically separated from one another, brought on by hunting and habitat destruction, according to the IUCN.
Shirui is in the eastern-most Manipur state of India, just west of northern Myanmar.
Irene Wright
McClatchy DC Email this person
Irene Wright is a McClatchy Real-Time reporter. She earned a B.A. in ecology and an M.A. in health and medical journalism from the University of Georgia and is now based in Atlanta. Irene previously worked as a business reporter at The Dallas Morning News.
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