Dibrugarh, June 5: In a major boost to community-led wildlife conservation, Tinsukia Deputy Commissioner Swapneel Paul visited Barekuri village on World Environment Day 2025 to launch two key initiatives aimed at protecting the endangered Western Hoolock Gibbons.
Barekuri, nestled in Assam’s Tinsukia district, rose to national prominence after being featured in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Mann ki Baat in August 2024 for its unique human-primate harmony. The village is known for the close-knit relationship between its residents and the Hoolock Gibbons, India’s only ape species.
Two years ago, the villagers raised concerns over gibbon deaths caused by electrocution from exposed electric transmission lines. Acting on their plea, the district administration began a project to insulate all bare transmission wires in the area. The project, now complete, has ensured safer movement for the arboreal primates across the village canopy.
Marking a new chapter in this grassroots conservation success story, DC Paul unveiled two long-term initiatives:
- Green Corridor Development:
To promote safe mobility and genetic exchange among gibbon populations, a green corridor will be established connecting Barekuri to the Bherjan-Borajan-Padumoni Wildlife Sanctuary. The corridor will consist of native tree species, providing a natural canopy for gibbons to travel, mate, and thrive across fragmented habitats.
- Fruit-Bearing Tree Plantation:
In keeping with wildlife guidelines that discourage feeding gibbons non-native fruits, the administration distributed 5,000 fruit-bearing saplings to villagers. These trees, once matured in home gardens and along village pathways, will provide a sustainable, natural food source for the gibbons without disrupting their ecological balance.
A public gathering marked the launch, drawing enthusiastic participation from villagers and schoolchildren. DC Paul was joined by renowned conservationists Khireswar Chetia and Diplob Chutia, both of whom have been instrumental in protecting Barekuri’s gibbons for decades.
In a symbolic moment, the Deputy Commissioner plucked a Bhimkol—a local variety of banana—from the backyard of Chetia and offered it to a gibbon, echoing a long-standing local tradition of sharing food with the primates during times of scarcity.
Also Read: USTM champions tree plantation drive and plastic-free pledge on World Environment Day
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