‘Nagami’ becomes first Mithun breed registered in the world – Historic Recognition for the State Animal of Nagaland

21 December 2025, Nagaland

Good news for the state of Nagaland. ICAR–National Research Centre on Mithun, Medziphema, Nagaland, has achieved a historic milestone with the successful registration of ‘Nagami’ as the world’s first recognized Mithun (Bos frontalis) breed with the ICAR–National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources, Karnal following years of systematic scientific investigation, documentation, and validation. The application for breed registration was submitted by ICAR–NRC on Mithun, Medziphema, under the leadership of Dr. Girish Patil, S., Director, ICAR - NRC Mithun, Nagaland. The breed characterization project was led by Dr. Harshit Kumar, Scientist, ICAR - NRC Mithun, Nagaland.

Mithun is the State animal of Nagaland and occupies a central place in the socio-cultural, economic, and traditional life of tribal communities in Nagaland. Despite its importance, Mithun populations had remained largely uncharacterized at the breed level, which posed challenges for scientific conservation, genetic improvement, and policy support. Recognising this gap, ICAR–NRC on Mithun initiated comprehensive breed characterization studies to establish a clear and scientifically validated identity for Mithun populations of Nagaland.

The Nagami Mithun is distinguished by its unique phenotypic and genetic features, including a predominantly black coat colour with characteristic white stockings, strong and compact body conformation, excellent adaptability to forest-based hill ecosystems, and high cultural significance among Naga tribes. Molecular and genetic analyses carried out as part of the application confirmed the distinct genetic identity of Nagami Mithun, clearly differentiating it from other Mithun populations of the North-Eastern region.

Nagami Mithun is widely distributed across several districts of Nagaland, where it is traditionally reared under free-range, community-managed forest grazing systems. The breed has evolved naturally under diverse agro-climatic and forest conditions of the state, contributing to its resilience, adaptability, and sustainable production potential.

The successful registration of Nagami Mithun is the outcome of dedicated and sustained efforts of ICAR–NRC on Mithun, including extensive field surveys across Nagaland, large-scale phenotypic and morphometric recording, genetic characterization, and continuous engagement with Mithun farmers, village councils, and state line departments. These coordinated efforts, led by the aforementioned team of scientists and officials, culminated in the acceptance of the application by ICAR–NBAGR, Karnal, marking a global first in Mithun breed registration.

This achievement may be regarded as a Christmas gift of Indian Council of Agricultural Reseasrch – National Research Centre on Mithu, Medziphema, Nagaland to the people of Nagaland, acknowledging the state’s rich livestock heritage and the invaluable role of Mithun-rearing communities in conserving this unique animal genetic resource. The recognition of Nagami as a registered breed will facilitate targeted conservation strategies, scientific breeding programmes, enhanced livelihood opportunities for farmers, and sustainable development of Mithun production systems in Nagaland.

With the efforts of ICAR – NRC on Mithun, Nagaland, Mithun was recognized as food animal by Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, New Delhi in 2023. In the same year, Mithun was included in the domestic animal diversity information system of FAO, Rome.

(Source: ICAR–National Research Centre on Mithun, Medziphema, Nagaland)