New project to save western tragopan
Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, May 6
The endangered western Tragopan is likely to get a new lease of life
with the union government having decided to help the state government
make new cages for pheasant breeding. A sum of Rs 4.93 crore had been
sanctioned for this purpose for five years.

A senior official of the Forest Department (wildlife wing) said that
the project was aimed at protecting the Himalayan bird that had
successfully been bred in captivity.

During the current year, two cages had been designed to resemble the
natural habitat of the rare bird. Seven more cages were being made in
the bird sanctuary at Sarahan.

The successful hatching of the endangered bird took place for the
first time in captivity at Sarahan in 2005 with the assistance of
John Corder, a conservation and breeding expert associated with the
World Pheasant Association.

After Corder's departure, three of the four chicks bred in 2005 died.
There was no breeding in 2006 as none of the eggs laid in two
clutches were hatched.

It may be mentioned that these birds are found only in Himachal
Pradesh, hilly areas of Pakistan and parts of Kashmir at a height of
above 2,600 metres.