Guwahati, Sep 10 (PTI) Bovine animal Mithun has been spotted in Assam for the first time, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Tuesday.
Mithun, which has the scientific name Bos Frontalis, is the state animal of Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland and is also found in the hills of Manipur and Mizoram.
“Assam adds another faunal friend to its biodiversity. In another beautiful addition to our animal kingdom diversity, we have recorded the presence of Mithun (Bos Frontalis) in the hilly areas of Dima Hasao,” Sarma posted on X.
The bovid species, native to the Himalayan foothills in Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland and finds mention in the Mahabharata, has now a new home in Assam, Sarma said.
“Kudos to our @assamforest Dept for its excellent work in protection, preservation and management of our treasured forests,” he added.
Recently, veterinary experts spotted Mithun in three remote areas — Laisong, Langting, and Thaijuwari – in central Assam’s Dima Hasao district.
These areas are inhabited by the Zeme Nagas and more than 200 Mithuns were recorded in the three remote pockets, a district Animal Husbandry and Veterinary official said.
Farmers rearing the bovine animals for generations need support as the animal is vulnerable to foot-and-mouth and other diseases domesticated bovines suffer from, the official added.
The presence of Mithun in Assam marks a new chapter in the state’s agricultural diversity and offers opportunities for local farmers, who can now have access to interventions specific to the Mithun, he added.
Mithuns are prized for their meat, milk, load carrying capacity and play a crucial role in the socio-economic and cultural lives of many tribal communities in the Northeast. PTI DG DG ACD
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