Dhodial Pheasantry
Encyclopedia
Dhodial Pheasantry is a pheasantry
and breeding center for several species of pheasant
s situated in Mansehra District
, Pakistan
. It has been set up for the purposes of research, conservation, tourism and education. The pheasantry has around 250 exhibits providing shelter to around 4,000 birds.
, Mansehra District
, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
at a distance of 40 kilometres (24.9 mi) from Abbottabad
, towards village of Shinkiari
. It covers an area of 21 acres (8.5 ha). Dhodial campus of Hazara University is located near the facility.
In 2001, when Hazara University planned to expand its campus over 204 acres (82.6 ha), the then Governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Lt. Gen Iftikhar Hussain Shah
, ordered the pheasantry to be removed from Dhodial and reloacted to Jaba Sheep Farm. The Inevitable Flight
, a documentary film over this issue, was made by a Pakistani documentary filmmaker, Azfar Rizvi. This and other factors mobilized enough public and political support that the relocation was cancelled.
s per person.
In 2011, the aviary was closed to public due to supposed spread of bird flu
. By July, all the birds had been vaccinated and the aviary was opened to public again on July 5, 2011.
, which went extinct in Pakistan, was planned to be reintroduced in the region. The World Pheasants Association sent 90 eggs of the species to the Dhodial Pheasantry. Among the eggs which hatched, the mortality was high and remained high till 1995. This situation got better in 1996. In 1997, a parent flock of 40 pairs was raised and eventually reintroduction of the cheer pheasant in Hazara District
was carried out. As of 2007, there are around 60 pairs of cheer pheasant in the Dhodial Pheasantry.
Waterfowls
Pheasantry
A pheasantry is a place or facility used for captive breeding and rearing pheasants, peafowls and other related birds, which may or may not be confined with enclosures such as aviaries. The pheasants may be sold or displayed to public or used as game birds...
and breeding center for several species of pheasant
Pheasant
Pheasants refer to some members of the Phasianinae subfamily of Phasianidae in the order Galliformes.Pheasants are characterised by strong sexual dimorphism, males being highly ornate with bright colours and adornments such as wattles and long tails. Males are usually larger than females and have...
s situated in Mansehra District
Mansehra District
Mansehra District is in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan, an area still unofficially known as the Northwest Frontier. Mansehra district and town are named after Man Singh, a leading general of Mughal Emperor Akbar...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. It has been set up for the purposes of research, conservation, tourism and education. The pheasantry has around 250 exhibits providing shelter to around 4,000 birds.
Location
Dhodial Pheasantry is located on Karakorum Highway in village of DhodialDhodial
Dhodial is a town and union council located near Baffa between Mansehra and Shinkiari in Mansehra District in Hazara province of Pakistan. The town was badly affected by the 2005 Pakistan earthquake.- Location:...
, Mansehra District
Mansehra District
Mansehra District is in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan, an area still unofficially known as the Northwest Frontier. Mansehra district and town are named after Man Singh, a leading general of Mughal Emperor Akbar...
, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
at a distance of 40 kilometres (24.9 mi) from Abbottabad
Abbottabad
Abbottabad is a city located in the Hazara region of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, in Pakistan. The city is situated in the Orash Valley, northeast of the capital Islamabad and east of Peshawar at an altitude of and is the capital of the Abbottabad District...
, towards village of Shinkiari
Shinkiari
Shinkiari is a Union Council of Mansehra District in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. Moulana Wasi-ur-Rahman is the Nazim of Shinkiari...
. It covers an area of 21 acres (8.5 ha). Dhodial campus of Hazara University is located near the facility.
History
Dhodial Pheasantry was established in 1984 by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Wildlife Department with the support of IUCN and World Pheasant Association. It was initially set up over an area of 4 acres (1.6 ha).In 2001, when Hazara University planned to expand its campus over 204 acres (82.6 ha), the then Governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Lt. Gen Iftikhar Hussain Shah
Iftikhar Hussain Shah
Lieutenant General Syed Iftikhar Hussain Shah was a former governor of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. Iftikhar Hussain Shah was commissioned in the Pakistan Army in October 1964 in 30th PMA Long Course and joined an anti-aircraft unit of the Regiment of Artillery...
, ordered the pheasantry to be removed from Dhodial and reloacted to Jaba Sheep Farm. The Inevitable Flight
The Inevitable Flight
The Inevitable Flight is a documentary film made by Pakistani documentary filmmaker, Azfar Rizvi.-Subject:The film records the ongoing conflict between Dhodial Pheasantry and Hazara University, whose expansion plans will necessitate the relocation of the pheasantry.-Background:Established for...
, a documentary film over this issue, was made by a Pakistani documentary filmmaker, Azfar Rizvi. This and other factors mobilized enough public and political support that the relocation was cancelled.
Public services
An information center has been developed in the aviary to accommodate of visitors, facilitate researchers and for spreading awareness among local pheasant breeders. More than 500 people visit the aviary daily. Entry fee for the aviary is 10 Pakistani rupeePakistani rupee
The rupee is the currency of Pakistan. The issuance of the currency is controlled by the State Bank of Pakistan, the central bank of the country. The most commonly used symbol for the rupee is Rs, used on receipts when purchasing goods and services. In Pakistan, the rupee is referred to as the...
s per person.
In 2011, the aviary was closed to public due to supposed spread of bird flu
Bird flu
Bird flu may refer to:Biology and disease* Avian influenza, influenza endemic to birds and pigeons.* Influenzavirus A, the causative agent for bird flu; the genus of the Orthomyxoviridae family...
. By July, all the birds had been vaccinated and the aviary was opened to public again on July 5, 2011.
Conservation efforts
Cheer PheasantCheer Pheasant
The Cheer Pheasant, Catreus wallichii also known as Wallich's Pheasant is an endangered species of the pheasant family, Phasianidae. It is the only member in monotypic genus Catreus...
, which went extinct in Pakistan, was planned to be reintroduced in the region. The World Pheasants Association sent 90 eggs of the species to the Dhodial Pheasantry. Among the eggs which hatched, the mortality was high and remained high till 1995. This situation got better in 1996. In 1997, a parent flock of 40 pairs was raised and eventually reintroduction of the cheer pheasant in Hazara District
Hazara District
Hazara District was a district of Peshawar Division in the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan until 1976.The Imperial Gazetteer of India described the district as follows..-Khatris and Khokhran:...
was carried out. As of 2007, there are around 60 pairs of cheer pheasant in the Dhodial Pheasantry.
Pheasants
Dhodial Pheasantry holds captive 34 of the 52 species of pheasants found in the world. Some of these include:- Bar-tailed Pheasant
- Blue Eared PheasantBlue Eared PheasantThe Blue Eared Pheasant, Crossoptilon auritum is a large, up to 96 cm long, dark blue-grey pheasant with velvet black crown, red bare facial skin, yellow iris, long white ear coverts behind the eyes and crimson legs. Its tail of twenty-four elongated bluish grey feathers is curved, loose and...
- Brown Eared PheasantBrown Eared PheasantThe Brown Eared Pheasant, Crossoptilon mantchuricum is a large, up to 100 cm long, dark brown pheasant of mountain forests of northern China. It has stiff white ear coverts behind the eyes, which look like a moustache. The crown is black with red bare facial skin and its tail of twenty-two...
- Cheer PheasantCheer PheasantThe Cheer Pheasant, Catreus wallichii also known as Wallich's Pheasant is an endangered species of the pheasant family, Phasianidae. It is the only member in monotypic genus Catreus...
- Common PheasantCommon PheasantThe Common Pheasant , is a bird in the pheasant family . It is native to Georgia and has been widely introduced elsewhere as a game bird. In parts of its range, namely in places where none of its relatives occur such as in Europe , it is simply known as the "pheasant"...
- Elliot's PheasantElliot's PheasantThe Elliot's Pheasant, Syrmaticus ellioti also known as Bar-backed Pheasant is a large, up to 80 cm long, brown and white pheasant with a black throat, chestnut brown upperparts plumage, white belly, nape and wingbars, red bare facial skin and long rusty-barred whitish tail...
- Edward's Pheasant
- Golden PheasantGolden PheasantThe Golden Pheasant or "Chinese Pheasant", is a gamebird of the order Galliformes and the family Phasianidae...
- Green PeafowlGreen PeafowlThe Green Peafowl or Javan Peafowl, Pavo muticus is a large Galliform bird that is found in the tropical forests of Southeast Asia...
- Grey FrancolinGrey FrancolinThe Grey Francolin Francolinus pondicerianus is a species of francolin found in the plains and drier parts of South Asia...
- Himalayan MonalHimalayan MonalThe Himalayan Monal, Lophophorus impejanus also known as the Impeyan Monal or Impeyan Pheasant or Danphe is a bird of genus Lophophorus of the pheasant family, Phasianidae. It is the national bird of Nepal, where it is known as the Danfe, and the state bird of Uttarakhand.Traditionally, the...
- Indian PeafowlIndian PeafowlThe Indian Peafowl or Blue Peafowl is a large and brightly coloured bird of the pheasant family native to South Asia, but introduced and semi-feral in many other parts of the world...
- Kalij
- Koklass Pheasant
- Lady Amherst's PheasantLady Amherst's PheasantThe Lady Amherst's Pheasant, Chrysolophus amherstiae, is a bird of the order Galliformes and the family Phasianidae.These are native to south western China and Myanmar, but have been introduced elsewhere, and have established a self-supporting, but now declining, feral population in England, the...
- Reeve's Pheasant
- Satyr TragopanSatyr TragopanThe Satyr Tragopan Tragopan satyra, also known as the Crimson Horned Pheasant, is a pheasant found in the Himalayan reaches of India, Tibet, Nepal and Bhutan. They reside in moist oak and rhododendron forests with dense undergrowth and bamboo clumps. Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, shrubland...
- Siamese FirebackSiamese FirebackThe Siamese Fireback, Lophura diardi also known as Diard's Fireback is a medium-sized, approximately 80 cm long, pheasant. The male has a grey plumage with an extensive red facial skin, crimson legs and feet, ornamental black crest feathers, reddish brown iris and long curved blackish tail...
- Silver PheasantSilver PheasantThe Silver Pheasant is a species of pheasant found in forests, mainly in mountains, of mainland Southeast Asia, and eastern and southern China, with introduced populations in Hawaii and various locations in the US mainland. The male is black and white, while the female is mainly brown...
- Swinhoe's PheasantSwinhoe's PheasantSwinhoe's Pheasant, Lophura swinhoii, is a bird of the pheasant subfamily of Phasianidae family that is endemic to Taiwan, where it inhabits primary broadleaved forest and mature secondary forest at 200-2,300 m. It was sometimes referred to as the unofficial "national bird" of Taiwan, but the...
- Western TragopanWestern TragopanThe Western Tragopan or Western Horned Tragopan is a medium-sized brightly plumaged pheasant found along the Himalayas from Hazara in northern Pakistan in the west to Uttarakhand within India to the east...
- White Eared Pheasant
Other
Cranes- Demoiselle CraneDemoiselle CraneThe Demoiselle Crane, Anthropoides virgo, is a species of crane that breeds in Central Asia and winters in India, with a few found in Cyprus and eastern Turkey as well. The crane annually migrates to Africa and South Asia in winter...
Waterfowls
- Bar-headed GooseBar-headed GooseThe Bar-headed Goose is a goose which breeds in Central Asia in colonies of thousands near mountain lakes and winters in South Asia, as far south as peninsular India. It lays three to eight eggs at a time in a ground nest....
- GadwallGadwallThe Gadwall is a common and widespread duck of the family Anatidae.- Description :The Gadwall is 46–56 cm long with a 78–90 cm wingspan. The male is slightly larger than the female, weighing on average 990 g against her 850 g...
- MallardMallardThe Mallard , or Wild Duck , is a dabbling duck which breeds throughout the temperate and subtropical Americas, Europe, Asia, and North Africa, and has been introduced to New Zealand and Australia....
- Northern PintailNorthern PintailThe Pintail or Northern Pintail is a widely occurring duck which breeds in the northern areas of Europe, Asia and North America. It is strongly migratory and winters south of its breeding range to the equator...
- Poachard
- Tufted DuckTufted DuckThe Tufted Duck, Aythya fuligula, is a medium-sized diving duck with a population of close to one million birds.- Description :The adult male is all black except for white flanks and a blue-grey bill. It has an obvious head tuft that gives the species its name.The adult female is brown with paler...
Mammals
The facility also houses some species of mammals::- Bengal TigerBengal TigerThe Bengal tiger is a tiger subspecies native to the Indian subcontinent that in 2010 has been classified as endangered by IUCN...
- ChinkaraChinkaraThe Chinkara is a species of gazelle found in south Asia.-Habitat and Distribution:It lives in grasslands and desert areas in India, Bangladesh and parts of Iran and Pakistan...
- LeopardLeopardThe leopard , Panthera pardus, is a member of the Felidae family and the smallest of the four "big cats" in the genus Panthera, the other three being the tiger, lion, and jaguar. The leopard was once distributed across eastern and southern Asia and Africa, from Siberia to South Africa, but its...
- UrialUrialThe Urial , also known as the Arkars or Shapo, is a subspecies group of the wild sheep Ovis orientalis. Noticeable features are the reddish-brown long fur that fades during winter; males are characterized by a black ruff stretching from the neck to the chest and large horns. It is found in western...