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World Pheasants Association (WPA) India
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WPA-India (World
Pheasant Association-India) was established in 1979 as a society under the
Societies Registration Act 1860. As a national body, WPA-India is an affiliate of
the World Pheasant Association (WPA) with headquarters in the UK . Currently, WPA
national bodies exist in 12 countries (apart from India ), besides membership in
over 40 countries worldwide.
The basic objective of WPA is the conservation of bird species of the Order Galliformes.
The basic objective of WPA is common everywhere; the motivation for conservation
varies from country to country. While in Europe and USA (where Pheasants were introduced
by humans), the main motivation has been propagation through captive breeding/aviculture
and release in the wild for hunting, in Asia (the region of the origin of pheasant
species), the main focus is on saving the birds in their natural habitats.
India has special significance for WPA because it is the home of 17 out of a total
of 50 pheasant species found worldwide. The Indian species include the magnificent
Blue Peafowl, the National Bird of India, and the highly versatile Red Junglefowl,
the progenitor of all domestic fowl and easily the most useful bird in human history.
The other beautiful species include the lovely Himalayan Monal, “the bird of nine
coloursâ€, the Kaleej and some Tragopans. India is undoubtedly the richest country
in pheasant species, apart from China .
WPA-India aims at creating awareness in the country about the ecological, economic
and aesthetic importance of Galliformes, in general, and Pheasants, in particular,
and works to arouse interest and support for their conservation from all sources,
including government and non-government bodies and individuals. It also carries
out and encourages studies and research on the distribution, population status,
and other aspects of individual species in their natural habitats, aimed at improving
the conservation status of the species in the country
Ongoing Projects
- Allain-Duhangan Wildlife and Floristic Studies : This project aims to assess
the important biological attributes of Allain-Duhangan catchments - site for construction
of a hydro-electric power plant near Manali. First of the three surveys planned
under the project has been conducted and the second one is underway. From initial
reports, the upper parts of this area appear to possess animal and floral communities
comparable with most parts of Himachal Pradesh State . This project is being done
in association with GB Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development and
funded by the ERM-India .
- Survey of animal use extraction pattern in some areas of Indian Himalaya
: The aim is to assess extraction of wild animals, which is a cause of concern.
Field work is in progress in Uttaranchal, Himachal Pradesh , Sikkim , Nagaland and
Arunachal Pradesh. The project is funded by the British High Commission in New Delhi
. Completion is to be done later this year.
- Effect of pesticide use on Blue Peafowl and Grey Francolin in Central India
: This project, to assess the impact of pesticide use on the Blue Peafowl and Grey
Francolin in parts of Central India has been initiated. The process of recruitment
of staff is complete and field work is expected to begin in February. The project
is funded by the Ministry of Environment & Forests , Govt. of India, the sanctioned
amount is Rs 14, 95,000/- over three years. Researcher - Bhumesh Singh Bhadouria
- Ringing of Captive Pheasants : A collaborative project between WPA, WPA-India
and the Central Zoo Authority, initiated with the aim of improving record keeping
in Indian zoos and other captive breeding facilities. Dedicated closed rings are
distributed amongst the facilities maintaining captive stocks so that chicks produced
are ringed, thereby providing the birds with unique numbers. The rings for this
project are donated by WPA and these are mailed to the relevant zoos. Travel costs
are reimbursed by the Central Zoo Authority
For more details please visit the website of WPA India at
www.wpaindia.org
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