Tamil Nadu - Chennai   

And now, peacocks at Guindy Park

By P. Oppili

CHENNAI, JULY 14. Peacocks (Pavo cristatus), a species of bird not native to the place, have been introduced at the Guindy National Park.

Wildlife authorities today said the first batch of three peacocks was released into the park on June 30 and a few more today.

K.S.S.V.P. Reddy, Wildlife Warden, Chennai, said the birds were released with to increase their population in the wild. The first batch consisted of two males and a female. The second comprised all male peacocks.

After the release, the authorities are keeping track of their movements, using a team of field staff, Forest Guards and watchers.

The birds released earlier never moved out of the Raj Bhavan compound.

They were generally seen roaming either in the park area or the Raj Bhavan Quarters. Another bird was seen sitting on the compound of Raj Bhavan, but never entered Sardar Patel Road, he said.

At present, the male-female ratio of the peacocks is not balanced as only one of the seven is female.

Mr. Reddy said a few more female birds would be acquired soon from other parks in the country under the animal exchange programme.

Wildlife authorities note that releasing of new species in the park is not new. In fact, though spotter deer (Axis axis) roam freely there, the park is not a normal habitat of the spotted deer.

Over 100 years ago, the British introduced this species into the park, then known as Guindy Lodge.

After the spotted deer, wildlife authorities released three pairs of Asiatic Jackals (Canis aureus) into the park.

The first pair was released in January 1998 and a second pair in July the same year. Again in 2002, a third pair was released. All the jackals are surviving in the park without any problem, said the authorities.

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