On November 13, 2015, Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) team along with DFO, Wokha, went to late Oponthung W. Jami’s (Forester Grade I) house to hand over the ex-gratia relief through EDDG to his family members for his daughter’s education. During the handover of the cheque, DFO, Wokha, mentioned that Opon was one of the most dedicated and sincere forest staff of Nagaland Forest Department. “He always tried to explore new ideas for conservation related issues. He even participated actively in community related work,” he said.
Vivek Menon, ED & CEO, WTI, mentioned that though he met Opon once in 2012 but the feedback from WTI staff was overwhelming. “They claimed that he was very sincere and extraordinarily dedicated to the cause of conservation.” He also mentioned that WTI will always remember him for the contribution he made in the field of conservation.
Opon’s brother and wife thanked WTI for their support. Opon’s wife said, “I am very thankful to WTI team and Nagaland Forest Department for their support.” Opon was instrumental in engaging the locals for Amur falcon protection when the project commenced in 2013. Apart from Amur falcons, he also completed an RAP on documenting the diversity of butterfly species around Doyang Reservoir.
The world of conservation lost yet another hero on the night of July 12, 2015. Mr Oponthung W. Jami truly the most active and effective field functionary of the Intanki National Park, Nagaland suddenly passed away, reportedly due to a stroke at Wokha civil hospital. A genuine friend of WTI, he was closely associated with the organisation for the last four years, and actively participated in WTI’s initiatives in Nagaland, including the Amur falcon project, human–elephant conflict mitigation strategy, and the conservation of butterflies in Doyang area. He was awarded with a certificate of appreciation by the WTI for his immense contribution to the conservation of wildlife in Nagaland.
Dr Jagdish Kishwan, Chief Advisor to ED & CEO, WTI said, “It’s a very shocking news. WTI has lost a great friend and supporter in Nagaland. We will always remain grateful to Mr Oponthung for his concern, cooperation and unstinted support for our conservation work in Nagaland. I will never forget his zeal, energy and willingness to take head on difficult assignments. In his eternal departure, I have lost a personal friend”.
