Imphal : Renowned environmentalist Dr Khangembam Shamungou Singh has raised serious concern over the misnaming of Manipur’s state animal, the Sangai or brow-antlered deer, under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

Addressing the plenary session of the Manipur Science Congress 2025, Dr Shamungou pointed out that the critically endangered Sangai (Rucervus eldii eldii) is listed as “Thamin” in the Act, instead of being identified by its widely recognised local and scientific name. He questioned whether the legislation was effectively protecting Manipur’s iconic deer or a different subspecies found in parts of South and Southeast Asia.

“Sangai is the state animal and a critically endangered species protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. However, it has been named as ‘Thamin’ instead of Sangai in the Act,” Dr Shamungou said, urging corrective steps at the policy level.

He expressed hope that deliberations at the ongoing Manipur Science Congress would take cognisance of the issue and initiate efforts to address it.

The concern was raised during a presentation on Manipur’s biodiversity, where Dr Shamungou emphasised the ecological and cultural significance of the Sangai, which is endemic to the Loktak Lake region and holds deep symbolic value for the people of the state.

The Manipur Science Congress 2025, which concluded at Manipur University on Monday, also featured presentations by former Dhanamanjuri University vice chancellor Prof N Rajmuhon on the transformative role of science and technology in the 21st century.

Director of the Directorate of Environment and Climate Change (DoECC), T Brajakumar, delivered an invited talk on climate change impacts, adaptation and mitigation strategies in Manipur.

Nearly 300 delegates from institutions within and outside the state participated in the three-day event. The science congress was inaugurated by Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla and was jointly organised by Manipur University, the Manipur Science and Technology Council (MASTEC) and the DoECC under the theme ‘Science, Innovation and Climate Change’.

The inaugural session also featured the felicitation of award sponsors, distribution of three key awards, and the release of a 375-page souvenir and a proceedings book.

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