Year of Award

2008

Document Type

Professional Paper

Degree Type

Master of Science (MS)

Degree Name

Wildlife Biology

Department or School/College

College of Forestry and Conservation

Committee Chair

Daniel Pletscher

Commitee Members

Mike Mitchell, David Naugle

Abstract

Pheasants belong to the avian order Galliformes and are important environmental indicators. Among 49 species of pheasants in the world, 5 of them are endemic to Pakistan with distribution in the Himalaya and remote northern parts of the country. Due to increase in human population, encroachment, poaching, and habitat disturbance pheasants are threatened and vulnerable. Besides ecological importance of pheasants they have also aesthetic values which mainly contribute to their decline in population in wake of poaching in their native local habitat. Because cheer pheasant was extirpated locally and other pheasants were declared endangered or threatened by the 1UCN, the NWFP wildlife department started a captive breeding program in early 1980s for these pheasants and their subsequent re-introduction into suitable habitat in the province. I focused on different initiative, interventions, and relevant documents to compile a comprehensive report on conservation of pheasants in the NWFP. Established in early 19980s, captive breeding program in Dhodial Pheasantry in district Mansehra has served not only as an ex-situ conservation tool but also as a platform for reintroduction of pheasants. Awareness and public education programs are also being implemented in different areas as a tool for conservation of pheasant at a larger scale. The Wildlife Department involved local communities in effective conservation of wildlife resources on sustainable basis. Review of documents and interventions of different conservation-based organization has shown that pheasants surveys are not conducted in a proper, systematic, and consistent manner. There is a lack of in-depth research, effective survey protocols, and database on the basis of which estimate of wild population can not be ascertained. There is a lack of coordination and networking among conservation-based organizations and the NWFP Wildlife Department has to struggle for finances and support. 1 recommend that regular pheasant survey must be ensured and international organizations must implement projects in core zones of these valuable birds. Database should be developed and properly maintained for effective assessment and implementation of projects in the future. Poaching and lack of public awareness about these birds are also main contributing factors. For education and awareness, intensive and extensive programs must be carried out to sensitize people about importance of these birds: and for discouraging poaching there is a dire need to strictly implement existing rules and regulations.

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