Ohey Tayeng – Pakke Nest Protector

Ohey Tayeng has been a hornbill nest protector in the Pakke Tiger Reserve in Arunachal Pradesh since 2013. He also works as a naturalist guide, with a very good knowledge of plants and birds.

The Pakke Reserve in western Arunachal Pradesh is a refuge for four species of hornbills, in an area where hunting and deforestation pose a serious threat to these birds. This Tiger Reserve is well-protected thanks to the efforts of the Forestry Department, but hornbills face ongoing threats outside protected areas.

It was therefore important to involve the Nyishi community, who live off the reserve, in the conservation of the hornbill habitat.

Since 2012, the NCF (Nature Conservation Foundation), with the help of the Ghora-Aabhe Society (a local NGO formed by Nyishi village chiefs to promote conservation around Pakke) and the Arunachal Pradesh Forestry Department, have successfully managed the Hornbill Nest Adoption Program. The program allows those who wish to adopt a hornbill nest.

The local community contributes by researching, monitoring and protecting nests in the forests around their villages, while the urban community contributes by financially supporting the program and helping as volunteers and as visitors.