Shimla: Success of a captive breeding program here for Cheer Pheasant, an endangered Himalayan Pheasant, would have chief minister Jai Ram Thakur release the birds into the wild on Thursday.
A government spokesman disclosed that the chief minister would do so at a function organised by Wild Life Wing of Forest Department on 3rd October, 2019 at Seri Village District Shimla.
He said that this will be a reintroduction of Cheer Pheasant in Himachal Pradesh, as captive-bred birds and animals have high mortality rate upon release into the wild.
Cheer Pheasant is an endangered Himalayan pheasant red-listed by International Union for Conservation for Nature (IUCN). The Central Zoo Authority identified the Cheer Pheasant as a candidate species for Conservation Breeding with an objective to establish viable and self sustainable population.
Khadiyun Pheasantry in Chail was identified as a ‘coordinating zoo’ for carrying out the Conservation Breeding of Cheer Pheasant to which the next step is to release this species into the wild.
