Wolf attacks disrupt mithun calf rearing in Mizoram's Serchhip

AIZAWL, Jan 19: In the forested hills of Sailulak and Leng villages in Serchhip district, close to the Myanmar border, the quiet rhythm of traditional gayal rearing has been repeatedly disrupted by night-time attacks from packs of wolves. For families who have invested years of labour and hope into semi-domesticating the majestic animal, the losses have been both financial and deeply personal.

Gayal, also known as mithun (Bos frontalis), are not kept in sheds or barns. They roam freely through forests, grazing on leaves, shrubs and natural forage, returning instinctively to familiar grounds and recognising their owners. That freedom, which defines gayal rearing, has also made the animals vulnerable.

F Vanlalruata of Sailulak village, one of the early adopters of gayal farming, said around 40 families in the village are now involved, collectively rearing nearly 250 animals. What began in 2017 with just five families and about 50 gayals gradually expanded despite repeated setbacks.

“We knew it would not be easy,” Vanlalruata said, adding, “But we did not expect to lose so many calves.”

According to him, wolves usually target juveniles soon after birth. Since 2019, villagers estimate that nearly 300 young gayals have been killed by predators, with wolves being the primary threat.

The State Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department began actively encouraging gayal domestication in 2019, providing barbed wire, fencing materials, shelters and water ponds. However, complete fencing is impractical as the animals range across large forest tracts, and some even cross the Tiau river into Myanmar’s Chin State while grazing.

“They roam deep in the jungle, but they are not aggressive,” Vanlalruata said. “They know their owners. The problem is we cannot protect newborn calves all the time,” he added.

The same struggle is evident in neighbouring Leng village. There, 11 families are rearing around 55 gayals, though numbers were much higher earlier. Tlanghmingthanga, a farmer from Leng, said they began gayal rearing in 2018 by taking bank loans and expanded more seriously from 2021 with support from the veterinary department.

“At one point, we had over 180 animals. But repeated attacks have discouraged many families,” he said.

Another villager, Lalnghenchhana, said timely compensation could ease the burden. He pointed out that delays in payments from the state Environment, Forests and Climate Change Department have made recovery difficult after each loss.

“If compensation comes on time, it helps us survive and start again,” he said. “Without it, people lose confidence.”

For the Mizo people, the gayal – locally called sial – is more than livestock. It symbolises prosperity and status and is central to social and religious ceremonies. Gayals are rarely milked; they are valued for meat, festivals, dowries, barter and even for settling disputes.

Despite repeated losses and uncertainty, farmers in Sailulak and Leng are reluctant to give up. For them, gayal rearing is not merely an economic activity but a link to history, dating back to the time when the Mizos lived in present-day Myanmar before settling in Mizoram.

“We are losing animals, yes,” Vanlalruata said, adding, “But we are also holding on to who we are.”