Spread over 3.8 acres in the heart of Lakeview Park, the aviary, with its over 4,000 birds from around 280 species, is the main attraction for visitors to the park.

The aviary, which claims to be the third largest in the world, holds pigeons, doves, pheasants, peacocks, swans, geese, ducks, ostriches, cranes, crown cranes and parrots. The green-winged macaw and white cockatoo are crowd favourites.

The birds are kept in a massive cage, with living space so they can fly and walk comfortably, and visitors can roam around in the enclosure.

The project was initiated by the Capital Development Authority (CDA), which outsourced it to a private firm for a period of five years once the facility had been developed. The operators of the aviary, which is also known as the Islamabad Bird Park, pay Rs2.5 million in rent ever year to the CDA. The aviary was inaugurated in 2013, by then prime minister Raja Pervez Ashraf.

There is also a pond inside the park, where birds can be seen swimming. According to the animal caretakers, the facility receives over a thousand visitors every day, while the company’s website says around 1 million people visit the aviary every year.

The operators of the aviary charge Rs100 per adult, and Rs50 per child – which some believe to be rather high.

“This is a very good place to visit, I appreciate the operators of the aviary, and we are enjoying ourselves here, but Rs100 per head is a little high,” said Mohammad Ismail, who came from Rawalpindi with his family of five. He said the entry fee for the aviary should be between Rs30-40, since it is being run in a public park.

But a caretaker defended the rates, saying people were happy to visit the facility.

“The visitors enjoy it here; they can feed the birds with their own hands, and we have over 5,000 birds of various species, including rare ones,” Ahmed Saeed, the owner of the aviary, said.

He said this aviary was the third largest in the world, smaller only than one in Malaysia and another in South Africa. He said the birds were treated with the utmost care, and their welfare was the priority at all times.

“We import the birds from various [regions], including Australia, Brazil and Africa,” he said, adding that more imported birds will be brought to the facility in February next year.

Published in Dawn October 2nd, 2016