Who cares about Great Indian Bustard and Jerdon's Cursor? By U Sudhakar Reddy
When the clouds gather over Idupulapaya, local people can now get to see peacocks dancing. After gifting a botanical garden, a deer park and an IIIT for Idupulapaya in his native district Kadapa, the Chief Minister, Dr Y S Rajasekhar Reddy, has ordered the release of 67 peacocks and peahens there.
Wags say that there is no end for the patronage which the Chief Minister extends to Idupulapaya. His family has estates near the Edupulupaya Reserve Forest and the Chief Minister had given away hundreds of acres of land to the poor braving criticism from the opposition.
Dr Reddy now wants to relocate the peacocks and peahens grown using special breeding techniques at the Nehru Zoological Park in Hyderabad to Edupalapaya. Wildlife experts had wondered why the peafowl species was being bred carefully in the Nehru Zoo though their population is exploding in the natural habitat and other species required more attention. The answer is that forest officials had undertaken the task on the instruction of the Chief Minister who wanted to gift them to his native district.
Funds were sanctioned on war footing and zoo officials smiled as the peafowl population increased. They will be taken to Idupulupaya by June end or in the first week of July, in time for the rains. Forest officials say that the activities at Idupulupaya are evidence of Dr Reddy’s love for nature. According to them, the development of Idupulapaya could be the first step towards the formation of a connecting corridor between Nallamala and Seshachalam forests which will help in the free movement of animals.
However, the fact remains this "love of nature" is not extended to crucial projects related to endangered species. The vulture breeding project and the Jerdon Cursor and Great Indian Bustard projects could not take off so far. There are only 10 Great Indian Bustards in Rollapadu bird sanctuary and the species is facing extinction.
The Telugu Ganga canal project has also had a negative impact on the Jerdon Cursor bird. But forest officials would rather clap on as peacocks dance in Edupulupaya and peahens watch them in admiration.
When the clouds gather over Idupulapaya, local people can now get to see peacocks dancing. After gifting a botanical garden, a deer park and an IIIT for Idupulapaya in his native district Kadapa, the Chief Minister, Dr Y S Rajasekhar Reddy, has ordered the release of 67 peacocks and peahens there.
Wags say that there is no end for the patronage which the Chief Minister extends to Idupulapaya. His family has estates near the Edupulupaya Reserve Forest and the Chief Minister had given away hundreds of acres of land to the poor braving criticism from the opposition.
Dr Reddy now wants to relocate the peacocks and peahens grown using special breeding techniques at the Nehru Zoological Park in Hyderabad to Edupalapaya. Wildlife experts had wondered why the peafowl species was being bred carefully in the Nehru Zoo though their population is exploding in the natural habitat and other species required more attention. The answer is that forest officials had undertaken the task on the instruction of the Chief Minister who wanted to gift them to his native district.
Funds were sanctioned on war footing and zoo officials smiled as the peafowl population increased. They will be taken to Idupulupaya by June end or in the first week of July, in time for the rains. Forest officials say that the activities at Idupulupaya are evidence of Dr Reddy’s love for nature. According to them, the development of Idupulapaya could be the first step towards the formation of a connecting corridor between Nallamala and Seshachalam forests which will help in the free movement of animals.
However, the fact remains this "love of nature" is not extended to crucial projects related to endangered species. The vulture breeding project and the Jerdon Cursor and Great Indian Bustard projects could not take off so far. There are only 10 Great Indian Bustards in Rollapadu bird sanctuary and the species is facing extinction.
The Telugu Ganga canal project has also had a negative impact on the Jerdon Cursor bird. But forest officials would rather clap on as peacocks dance in Edupulupaya and peahens watch them in admiration.
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