The Song of the Honey Collector

In Arunachal's Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary, a dwindling tribe shares a unique bond with a rare species of honeyguide birds

- Nandini Velho

THE EAGLENEST WILDLIFE Sanctuary in Arunachal Pradesh's West Kameng district is known as the land of the Bugun Liocichla, a critically endangered bird first spotted in 1995 and described in 2006.

While the Bugun Liocichla is the star among the birdwatchers who flock to this mecca of biodiversity, the locals keep their ears trained for the "srik srik srik" of the short-billed yellow-rumped honeyguide that leads them to hidden reserves of honey in the forest.

In March and April, the forests in the sanctuary are ablaze with rhododendrons in full bloom. The bees feed on the pollen of the Rhododendron arboreum, a species found in abundance here, and produce honey that packs a hallucinogenic punch.

This highly-prized "mad honey," as it is called, has a slightly bitter taste and a reddish colour.

A Living Tradition

Chumbi Megeji, one of the last honey collectors (or chilopa) in the area surrounding Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary, has a particular fondness for the flavour of the honey produced by this flower species. He belongs to the Shertukpen community of Thungre village in West Kameng district, and is bound by the traditional rules that govern a chilopa. He has to first sing to the bees and then to the wax-eating yellow-rumped honeyguide. He cannot be called by name and sleeps on a bed of leaves in the forest when collecting honey.

A honey collection journey can take five days, with around 20 to 30 people heading together into the forest. Only four honey collectors are left in Megeji’s village, and each clan has a designated mountain from which they harvest honey.