Nagaland: Mithun Show at Kisama draws light on mithuns

Joint Director of the Department of Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Services and convenor of the Mithun Show at Hornbill Festival 2025, Inato Zhimomi, stated that the Hornbill Festival was initiated with a “good intention” by the government to promote Naga culture, heritage and identity, but expressed concern that it has been misused over the years, drawing criticism on social media.
He remarked that younger generations have a responsibility to reform the festival, and said the department’s participation this year was guided by this conviction.
Zhimomi said the Mithun—declared as Nagaland’s State Animal—remains a cultural symbol deeply connected with Naga identity and heritage. He maintained that the department considers itself “custodian” of the species and emphasised the need to promote and protect it. He described the Mithun as “God-gifted to the Nagas,” noting that earlier generations reared the animal with pride, honour and reverence, but younger people have increasingly distanced themselves, with some villages even banning Mithun rearing due to concerns over crop damage. According to him, this shift has contributed to a drop in Mithun population, leading to sharp increases in market prices and making it difficult for poor farmers—the primary rearers—to sustain the practice.
He informed that the department assured farmers that transportation costs would be covered and even committed to purchasing the animals themselves if farmers were unable to sell them, in order to ease apprehensions about bringing animals over long distances.
Zhimomi stated that animals for display and meat purposes were sourced mainly from Noklak, Zunheboto and Niuland districts. He reported that four animals had been slaughtered for meat, all of which were sold out, while three display animals had also been purchased—one already transported away and another scheduled to leave on December 5.
He said the committee was arranging additional animals due to demand. According to him, high-quality Mithun specimens were found particularly in Noklak, though sourcing them is challenging, with one animal reportedly requiring ten people and ten days to capture, prompting the department to pay an additional Rs 25,000 to the farmers. He concluded by emphasising that the Mithun deserves to be recognised not only as a state symbol but as a sacred animal rooted deeply in Naga life and identity, and called for collective responsibility to promote, protect and respect it.
Adding to the discussion, Dr. Auto V, Deputy Director, AH&V Services and member of the Mithun Show committee, said the FSSAI’s 2023 recognition of mithun as a meat and food animal has removed long-standing misconceptions and opened significant market and livelihood opportunities in Nagaland.
He emphasised the need to form mithun cooperative societies for organised rearing and marketing, and reiterated that mithun is a domesticated animal with owners, not a wild species.