Co-existing with Fiya for centuries, locals consider them ‘holy souls’ and try to protect them from poachers

PITHORAGARH: Considered ‘holy animals’ by locals, Himalayan marmots (Marmota himalayana), also known as ‘Fiya’, are now being increasingly hunted for meat and fur in the upper reaches of the Himalayas . People in the region say that they suspect poachers from outside the region to be behind the hunting. “The people residing in the area are not involved in hunting Himalayan marmot at all. In fact, we revere them. Poachers coming from outside are hunting Fiya for meat and fur. They should be caught and severely punished,” a resident of Byas valley said.

Senior forest official Manoj Chandran who has served in Pithoragarh added that the animal is considered a ‘pious soul’ by people in the region.

Poachers use fire and smoke to hunt marmots down

“Fiya is usually very shy and avoids coming in contact with humans. They also stand on their hind legs with folded hands in traditional namaste-style looking towards Mount Kailash. So, the locals treat Fiya as a ‘holy soul’ and I don’t think that they will try to harm them,” Chandran added.

The Himalayan marmots are found at a height above 10,000 feet mainly staying underground by constructing a network of burrows for their safety. Spotting one can be a rare sight as they can be very quick on their feet. However, cases of their hunting are now being increasingly reported from Byas valley of Pithoragarh district leading to local residents getting increasingly concerned and vocal about their safety.

Explaining how a poacher operates, a local resident said, “Poachers who come from outside the district, use a combination of fire and smoke to hunt the Himalayan marmot. They block one of the exit points of their underground tunnels to either smoke them out or suffocate them to death.”

Divisional forest officer, Pithoragarh, Vinay Bhargava when contacted about the issue, said, “The forest department has no knowledge of poaching by any outsiders. The mountainous area is normally guarded by the Indo-Tibetan Border Police and we will try to contact them on this matter.”

