Uniting for the Wild: Conserving the Seinthuk Community Forest

Around the world, indigenous communities have long protected their land and water with a deep respect for the environment. Their connection to the earth runs deeper than mere survival — a living, breathing relationship woven into their culture, stories, and way of life. For them, every tree has a tale, every river a memory, and every mountain a spirit.

Tucked into the misty mountains of Arunachal Pradesh’s West Kameng district, Seinthuk (now known as Shergaon) village is a shining example of this sacred bond. Surrounded by lofty mountains and carpeted with dense forests, Shergaon is home to the Sherdukpen community, whose history and culture are woven into the fabric of the land they call home.

Legend traces the Sherdukpen lineage back to their forefather, Asu Gyaptong, who is believed to have descended from Gyalpo Songtsan Gampo, the 7th-century Tibetan ruler who married an Assamese princess. Their spiritual world is a blend of Buddhist and Bon beliefs. Like many indigenous communities, the Sherdukpen hold deep-rooted beliefs in local deities: Sungkhit (guardian mountain deity), Chhu Rinchin Bonpo (river deity), Chhip (vehicles of deities in the form of animals and birds) and more. In the community, hunting cat species is taboo, while glimpsing wild cats like tigers, leopards, etc., is considered auspicious. Community elders recall a time in their youth when tigers roamed these forests, but these majestic big cats have vanished over time.

Festivals like Kro-Chekor, a month-long celebration, bring activities like hunting, fishing, and even butcher shops to a complete standstill, honouring the sanctity of life. This is like a tradition of conservation practised for generations, I mused.

Adding to their unique way of life is the community’s annual winter migration to the foothills of Doimara, where they once engaged in a barter system with neighbouring Assam. For me, Sherdukpen is remarkable and unique because of the delicate balance between progress and preservation — a community that moves forward without losing sight of its rich heritage.

But what sets the Shergaon community forest spectacularly apart? The rich biodiversity of flora and fauna in these undisturbed community forests makes them the perfect refuge for wildlife — a living testament to the community’s time-honoured conservation practices.​ ​ 

In Northeast India, forests are more than just landscapes; they are lifelines intricately woven into the fabric of community life. Here, forests are mostly owned and managed by local communities. Among the Northeastern states, Arunachal Pradesh is known for its highest forest cover and is recognised as a crucial segment of one of the world’s global biodiversity hotspots. Also, large parts of the forested area (almost 60 per cent) are categorised as unclassified state forests. Far from being unregulated, these forests are under the careful community custodianship of local communities, managed by clans and village council laws, reflecting a deep-seated commitment to sustainable living.

Shergaon forest is a hidden treasure and home to mammals of immense ecological importance: small cats, clouded leopards (Neofelis nebulosa), dholes (Cuon alpinus), Asiatic black bear (Ursus tribetanus), and many more, giving it even more weight in the conservation narrative. Its contiguity with the Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary (EWS) and shared international boundary with Bhutan amplifies its ecological importance, as the forest might serve as a critical buffer, so wildlife roam unrestricted, and gene flow is uninterrupted.

As Dorjee Kandu Thungon, Vice-chairperson of Garung Thuk, puts it: “There is a tradition of contribution and service in our village, but it was usually done in an individual capacity or as a family effort. Here, community living is more prevalent. Since individual giving is already part of our culture, we thought, why not create an organisation that allows us to give back as a community, for the community?”

That is how the initiative of Garung Thuk (which means “our village”) came to life in October 2014. It was sparked by a group of dedicated community members and friends who grew up together, united by a shared mission to serve their village. This NGO champions both the upliftment of the community and the protection of its rich biodiversity. Among their many achievements was adopting a stretch of the Choskorong Kho (river) for five years. As part of this effort, they conducted a fish riverine breeding programme, releasing 500 fish fingerlings into the water with the support of the fisheries department aimed at restoring the aquatic ecosystem. To aid the river’s natural regeneration, fishing and tree felling along the riverside is strictly prohibited. Each year, in collaboration with Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary, Garung Thuk organises a nature camp for schoolchildren to create awareness and appreciation for the region’s rich biodiversity. The goal is to educate the younger generation, inspire them to take pride in their natural heritage, and actively work toward its preservation. Experts from various institutions and organisations are invited to deliver insightful talks, broadening the perspectives of the local community. In 2025, the WTI was also a part of the workshop, further enriching the experience.

With this vision at its core, Garung Thuk joined hands with the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) and forged a powerful alliance for conservation and community development.  

With the mission of protecting wild cats, WTI’s Forgotten Cats of Seinthuk project — (supported by Felis, Eicher Motor Foundation, and Shapoorji Pallonji Pandoh Takoli Highway Pvt. Ltd.) aims to secure key habitats for small cat species within the Shergaon community forest. To achieve this, a scientific approach was adopted involving systematic grid-based sampling of the forest using camera traps. This method will help assess the diversity, distribution, and habitat preferences of key species in the area, contributing to its conservation. The community was also trained in deploying camera traps and collecting data. Additionally, they learned how to use GPS devices in the field and were provided with basic field gear for the survey.

Furthermore, the project seeks to understand the community’s perception of wildlife and foster greater awareness of conservation efforts. Workshops and training sessions equip them with the skills and knowledge needed to actively preserve the region’s biodiversity and natural resources. In collaboration with the Garung Thuk, WTI’s goal is to transform the community into dedicated guardians of small cats and their habitat in these community forests and ensure that conservation becomes an integral part of their identity and legacy.

Beyond the statistics and ecological significance lies a story of deep cultural ties. In an era of rampant environmental degradation, Shergaon stands as a beacon, showing how community-driven conservation can create a harmonious balance between people and the planet. Even the smallest steps can have a lasting impact — like banning machines for tree cutting, following an age-old calendar to guide agricultural practices, and restricting fishing or harvesting on specific days of every month. These carefully observed practices allow the land and wildlife time to rejuvenate, reflecting a deep understanding of nature’s rhythms. To ensure this legacy continues, it is crucial to strengthen and pass down these conservation practices to future generations.