GUWAHATI: Assam has recorded the mithun (Bos frontalis) for the first time, generations after the semi-wild gaur-like animal began to be reared by tribals in the state’s hill district of Dima Hasao.During past livestock censuses, the enumerators recorded the animal in the column of “others” and the government had no idea about its presence. Mithun is the state animal of Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland and found also in the hills of Mizoram and Manipur. It is primarily reared for its meat. Bhairab K Kakati, Additional Director of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department (Hills), told that a team had spotted the animal during a visit to the three remote villages of Laisong, Langting and Thaijuwari in Dima Hasao on August 21.Scientists from the Nagaland-based ICAR-National Research Centre on the mithun were part of the team. The villages that the team visited are inhabited by Zeme Nagas and located 70-80 km from district headquarters Haflong.“We saw 35-40 mithuns. During past livestock censuses, the enumerators would record cattle, pigs, buffalos and goats. They recorded mithuns as ‘others’. They were perhaps not properly trained and mithun was never reported,” Kakati said.Quoting villagers, he said the villages had a large population of the animal but their numbers declined with time.
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