August 21, 2003

It is a pity how the beautiful pheasants are fast dying out, writes Dr A. A. Quraishy

Except for some of the loveliest marine fish, the pheasants — colourful birds of the dense hilly areas throughout Asia including China — have no match in creative artistry and imaginative use of chromatics.

The principles of evolutionary selection and discretion were apparently flouted by nature when designing the male species of this spectacular group of a feathered fraternity of 49 distinct ornamental gems. The female species were purposely turned drab and flat obviously for their protection and that of the chicks they would teach what to eat; which shoot, grain, grass or insect was to be avoided, or how to freeze when in danger.

It may be quite difficult for an artist to paint a pheasant and create all the hues and tints on canvass or paper. The flawless blue peacock we love to see dancing, displays over 300 variations of colour, texture and magnificence. Every design seems laid out with absolute precision, the flow of splash and glitter has a methodology that benumbs the finest art critic. There is no misprint at the end of the book, nor is there a list of erratum, nor are the colours washable.

The propensity to show off by the males also defies the natural etiquette of fabrication; normally there has to be an attempt to escape an enemy and to hide from a predator. The Monal — next in beauty to the blue peacock — perches on the pinnacles of the highest pine, and calls with resonance that echoes in the calm and cool valley for half a kilometre. Besides, it has a glittering deep green, bluish plumage with a shiny crest that shines in the sun, and a brown longish tail that stands out distinctly clear against the chlorophyll.

The distinctive koklass, the bejwelled tragopan, the white kaleej or for that matter any member of the clan loves to call, twitter, whistle, cackle, gabble, cluck and sing to make his presence felt.

It seems they are the proudest dandies of the forests where in the context of human estimation, they must keep as quiet as possible, also for the reason that near about, there will be others of the same species, vying for attention or to secure territorial rights. Several demure female species will be around, some out of curiosity, others to probably select a strong virile mate for breeding.

The pheasants are a species that should be appreciated and their beauty preserved but not killed. Animals that are meant to be used for the pot or sport have very sophisticated, polished, efficient means of survival, like speed, camouflage, guile, acute sense of smell and power of hearing, but the pheasants do not have such defensive attributes. The male ones dance and make loud sounds by spreading their feathers that make them more obvious than they were before puffing up. The male selects an open site for the display that makes him an easy target — an act that is foolish and destructive. By being shot or killed by hunters, this beautiful species is gradually becoming extinct.

Unfortunately, what has been happening for the last 50 years is that they are being trapped, shot and snared. Though the breeding season should be spent quietly, the pheasant makes calls that make him a ‘sitting duck’ for hunters.

Collectively their numbers, therefore, in high Gilgit, picturesque Swat, emerald gullies, in balmy Kaghan, salubrious Azad Kashmir and arid Tharparkar have drastically been reduced. Far worse is the criminal act of stealing the eggs by cowboys, mushroom gatherers and herb seekers which goes on around the year.

Unlike our house sparrow that is quite prolific, the pheasant lays a paltry three to 15 eggs. All the eggs cannot be guaranteed to hatch due to the many threats that they fall prey to. The stakes are high as the jungle cat, the fox, the mongoose, the martens, the varanus — all seeking food every day the year round, attack these eggs.

There are stale eggs; the unwise use of pesticides is thinning down the egg shells which makes the survival of the chicks even less likely. The army personnel, the local landlords, rangers, the poachers, shoot these birds and seek accolades, but it is not realized that this is a diminishing species. So many are being shot and killed by the million that there hardly seems any hope for them to survive as a species.

The Wildlife department of the NWFP has finally taken action to breed them for releasing them into their natural habitat. The breeding station is at Dhodial near Mansehra where they are rearing 12 species of pheasants. Among them are the six — the blue peacock, kaleej, koklass, cheer western, tragopan and the monal native to our country.

Efforts are being made to release them into their respective habitats where they can start afresh and keep the race alive. It is a very uphill task, fought with manifold technical intricacies.

The World Pheasant Association is helping, and the dedication to the cause of conservation, protection of the habitants, creating and jealously guarding a national park for each of them will determine the extent of success. It is not a wasteful exercise and has an excellent chance for success to regenerate the degenerated, which is the only option. Pheasants cannot be manufactured by man so they must be preserved by creating favourable circumstances.

Tharparkar — the home of blue peacocks — has been declared as the Third Ramsar site which makes it equivalent to the sacred cow of Sindh, where no animal should be allowed to be killed, molested or its eggs stolen as is the case with blue peacocks, stolen by the hunting tribe of Thar — the Kolhies.

The peacock eggs in Nagarparkar are sold as a commodity at the rate of Rs25 each. This is sheer destruction of the most wonderful bird of Pakistan. In Hindu temples and hamlets where Hindus reside, they move without fear but elsewhere they are targeted. In Ram Mandir, where they are fed by a priest, they fly there early in the morning and in the evening for their daily grub. Thereafter, they fear for their lives and fly back to the Karojhar hills for their protection.

The Sindh wildlife department should make it possible for them to live in peace, by apprehending known poachers of eggs and peacock chicks. Rangers who make demands for pairs of peacocks should not do so since this has taken a terrible toll on the endangered peacocks.

The area around Pohiyal is not right for blue peacocks to be released into the wild. They should send the chicks to Sindh — their original home. Survival of wild animals and birds in captivity is entirely different from a life of freedom in natural surroundings.

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