Jujurana, The Western Horned Tragopan (Courtesy Pics: John Corder, WPA-UK)
Tragopan melanocephalus
Tragopan melanocephalus
The undisputed King of Birds. Add a feather.
Brighten the life of the King of Birds. Among birds there can be only one King. None other than the Western Tragopan itself. Created by God. Hunted by man. The Western Tragopan vanishes for its colourful plumage. While legend tells: that God created the Tragopan out of feathers shed by every bird in the universe. It is man that aids to its destruction. And unless man changes his attitude!! The Tragopan’s feathers may have lost their colours. So isn’t it time we helped the pheasant survive ? Even if it be just a “feather” of a help.
Jujurana as they call the western tragopan in kullu district of Himachal Pradesh means king of the birds. According to a local legend god created this colourful pheasant with the help of the most beautiful feathers of each bird in the universe. The name relates the grandeur and beauty of WT that it enjoys among the local villagers. It is known as Pyara in Kinnaur; Jyazi in Bushahr, and Fulgar in Chamba and Kangra districts. The world distribution of WT is limited to parts of Pakistan, Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh. Its confirmed eastern limit of distribution is Himachal-Uttar Pradesh boundary at the junction of Kinnaur (HP) and Uttarkashi (U.P.) districts. This pheasant has been well documented from the Great Himalayan National Park, and Rupi-Bhaba and Daranghati wildlife sanctuary in Himachal Pradesh. However, there is no confirmed record of WT occurring in wild from adjoining district of Uttarkashi in U.P. Hills.
The latest reports of WT come from the surveys in Sutlaj and Beas catchments. The Thar Jot site near Daranghati sanctuary is the first definite site for WT reported for over 30 years east of the Sutlaj. The Thar Jot area has primeval forest of Deodar Cedrus deodara, Fir Abies pindrow, and Spruce Picea smithiana with a thick understorey of ringal bamboo Arundinaria falcata. This is a typical WT habitat between 2500 and 3300 m altitude which does not appear to tolerate biotic disturbances. Such type of WT habitats now exist in very interior forests of Himachal, most of which are part of the protected areas. The local communities also know WT as `sing wala panchi' or the Western Horned Tragopan. The Sarahan Bushahr pheasantry in Shimla district houses the only existing breeding pairs of WT in captivity anywhere in the world.
The Conservation Efforts for the Western Tragopan
Western Tragopan, flagship species of the Great Himalayan National Park, Himachal Pradesh, India
a) endemic to the western Himalayas, occurring from Himachal Pradesh, west through Kashmir and Kohistan possibly Uttaranchal, north-west India
b) Involved in conservation of Western Tragopan
c) Setting up linkages between Western Tragopan conservation and livelihood support, rural development inputs in the villages adjacent to the Park
d) Buffer zone, the key to wildlife management in the Great Himalayan National Park
The Challenge
a) To resolve socio-economic issues on priority for effective contribution to the Western Tragopan (biological diversity) conservation
b) To rethink objectives, scope & priorities for conservation oriented development leading to poverty alleviation
Develop management plans accordingly
A Strategy for Biodiversity Conservation
a) help people achieve better life quality through biodiversity conservation
b) enable people living in and around Western Tragopan areas to lead an improved quality of life, but as defined by themselves (and not by people from consumerist metropolis or the World Bank)
Livelihood Approach to Conservation at the Great Himalayan National Park
Facilitation of following by the Park
a) Involve poor and women in conservation efforts
b) Microcredit schemes for poor villagers
c) Arrange Training for villagers’ capacity building
d) Marketing of products
Communities programmes inevitably involving a number of other agencies from the highest level (the Chief Minister of the state) to the World Pheasant Association.
An extended strategy to Conservation
Only Economic Empowerment not to lead to conservation.
Incorporate a back-up of
a) effective policy and legislation,
b) enforcement,
c) socio-political and spiritual empowerment,
d) conservation education programme,
e) and collaborative management.
An extended strategy to Conservation
Facilitate involvement of other players in conservation, such as departments of
a) rural development,
b) health,
c) veterinary,
d) education,
e) NGOs
for meaningful integration of Conservations and Development
Western Tragopan Conservation through conservation breeding
Designing of pheasantries in Himachal Pradesh, India for the Western Tragopan conservation breeding efforts at:
a) Sarahan, and
b) Gopalpur with the help of World Pheasant Association
Great Himalayan National Park: The Best Learning and Way Forward
a) Contribute to biological diversity conservation by resolving the socio-economic issues of the local people on priority
The habitat of wild animals and plants will be better conserved if the local Panchayats (villagers) stand by the Park staff and assist in protection of natural resources.
a) endemic to the western Himalayas, occurring from Himachal Pradesh, west through Kashmir and Kohistan possibly Uttaranchal, north-west India
b) Involved in conservation of Western Tragopan
c) Setting up linkages between Western Tragopan conservation and livelihood support, rural development inputs in the villages adjacent to the Park
d) Buffer zone, the key to wildlife management in the Great Himalayan National Park
The Challenge
a) To resolve socio-economic issues on priority for effective contribution to the Western Tragopan (biological diversity) conservation
b) To rethink objectives, scope & priorities for conservation oriented development leading to poverty alleviation
Develop management plans accordingly
A Strategy for Biodiversity Conservation
a) help people achieve better life quality through biodiversity conservation
b) enable people living in and around Western Tragopan areas to lead an improved quality of life, but as defined by themselves (and not by people from consumerist metropolis or the World Bank)
Livelihood Approach to Conservation at the Great Himalayan National Park
Facilitation of following by the Park
a) Involve poor and women in conservation efforts
b) Microcredit schemes for poor villagers
c) Arrange Training for villagers’ capacity building
d) Marketing of products
Communities programmes inevitably involving a number of other agencies from the highest level (the Chief Minister of the state) to the World Pheasant Association.
An extended strategy to Conservation
Only Economic Empowerment not to lead to conservation.
Incorporate a back-up of
a) effective policy and legislation,
b) enforcement,
c) socio-political and spiritual empowerment,
d) conservation education programme,
e) and collaborative management.
An extended strategy to Conservation
Facilitate involvement of other players in conservation, such as departments of
a) rural development,
b) health,
c) veterinary,
d) education,
e) NGOs
for meaningful integration of Conservations and Development
Western Tragopan Conservation through conservation breeding
Designing of pheasantries in Himachal Pradesh, India for the Western Tragopan conservation breeding efforts at:
a) Sarahan, and
b) Gopalpur with the help of World Pheasant Association
Great Himalayan National Park: The Best Learning and Way Forward
a) Contribute to biological diversity conservation by resolving the socio-economic issues of the local people on priority
The habitat of wild animals and plants will be better conserved if the local Panchayats (villagers) stand by the Park staff and assist in protection of natural resources.
2 comments:
Himachal Pradesh has already made considerable progress in saving jujurana, particularly with the major achievements at Sarahan Pheasantry, where they have achieved breeding successes never seen previously. Of course, the major efforst must always be to ensure the survival of jujurana in its natural habitat. If it survives here, then probably all other forms of wildlife will survive as well. The local people seem to have an increasing awareness of the vital role that they can play in maintaining the natural environment, although there is still a long way to go. Well done for everything you have achieved so far, and best wishes for future successes.
tragopan pheasant is wonderful!
thomasbirds.blogspot.com
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