- Dhodial Pheasantry
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Dhodial Pheasantry 
Date opened 1984[1] Location Dhodial, Mansehra District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan Land area 21 acres (8.5 ha)[2] Coordinates 34°25′14″N 73°15′13″E / 34.42056°N 73.25361°ECoordinates: 34°25′14″N 73°15′13″E / 34.42056°N 73.25361°E Number of animals >4,000[2] Number of species 38[3] (pheasants only) Annual visitors 180,000[4] Major exhibits ~250[2] Website dhodialpheasantry.com Dhodial Pheasantry (or Dhodial Pheasant Center) is a pheasantry and breeding center for several species of pheasants 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.[2]
Contents
Location
Dhodial Pheasantry is located on Karakorum Highway in village of Dhodial, Mansehra District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan at a distance of 40 kilometres (25 mi) from Abbottabad, towards village of Shinkiari. It covers an area of 21 acres (8.5 ha).[2] 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).[1]
In 2001, when Hazara University planned to expand its campus over 204 acres (83 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.[5]
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.[2] More than 500 people visit the aviary daily. Entry fee for the aviary is 10 Pakistani rupees per person.[4]
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.[4]
Conservation efforts
Cheer Pheasant, 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.[1] As of 2007, there are around 60 pairs of cheer pheasant in the Dhodial Pheasantry.[2]
Species
Birds
Pheasants
Dhodial Pheasantry holds captive 34 of the 52 species of pheasants found in the world. Some of these include[2]:
- Bar-tailed Pheasant
- Blue Eared Pheasant
- Brown Eared Pheasant
- Cheer Pheasant
- Common Pheasant
- Elliot's Pheasant
- Edward's Pheasant
- Golden Pheasant
- Green Peafowl
- Grey Francolin
- Himalayan Monal
- Indian Peafowl
- Kalij
- Koklass Pheasant
- Lady Amherst's Pheasant
- Reeve's Pheasant
- Satyr Tragopan
- Siamese Fireback
- Silver Pheasant
- Swinhoe's Pheasant
- Western Tragopan
- White Eared Pheasant
Other
- Cranes
- Waterfowls
Mammals
The facility also houses some species of mammals:[2][4][5]:
See also
- The Inevitable Flight
References
- ^ a b c Syed Imad-ud-Din Asad (2003). "Dhodial: Asia's Largest Pheasantry". wildlifeofpakistan.com. Dhodial: Dawn News. http://www.wildlifeofpakistan.com/OfftheBeatenTrack/dhodialasiaslargestpheasantry.htm. Retrieved July 21, 2011.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Dhodial providing unique environment to various species". archives.dawn.com (Dhodial: Dawn News). May 14, 2007. http://archives.dawn.com/dawnftp/72.249.57.55/dawnftp/2007/05/14/nat17.htm. Retrieved July 21, 2011.
- ^ "History of Dhodial Pheasantry". dhodialpheasantry.com. http://dhodialpheasantry.com/history.html. Retrieved July 22, 2011.
- ^ a b c d "Bird flu control: Dhodial pheasantry to re-open from July 5". tribune.com.pk (Mansehra, Pakistan: The Express Tribune - Pakistan). July 2, 2011. http://tribune.com.pk/story/200802/bird-flu-control-dhodial-pheasantry-to-re-open-from-july-5/.
- ^ a b Rizvi, Azfar (2008). "The Inevitable Flight". azfarrizvi.com. http://www.azfarrizvi.com/inevitable.html. Retrieved July 21, 2011.
External links
Zoos in Pakistan Zoos - Bahawalpur Zoo
- Hyderabad Zoo (Rani Bagh)
- Islamabad Zoo
- Karachi Zoo
- Lahore Zoo
- Landhi Korangi Zoo
Aviaries - Changa Manga Vulture Center
- Dhodial Pheasant Center
- Lahore Walkthrough Aviary
- Lakki Marwat Crane Center
- Saidpur Hatchery
Aquaria - Clifton Fish Aquarium
- Karachi Municipal Aquarium
- Landhi Korangi Aquarium
Safari parks - Jallo Wildlife Park
- Karachi Safari Park
- Lahore Zoo Safari
- Lake View Park
- Lohi Bher Wildlife Park
- Murree Wildlife Park
Theme Parks - Jungle World
Wildlife parks - Attock Wildlife Park
- Bahawalnagar Wildlife Park
- Bhagat Wildlife Park
- Changa Manga Wildlife Park
- Dera Ghazi Khan Wildlife Park
- Gatwala Wildlife Park
- Kamalia Wildlife Park
- Kund Wildlife Park
- Perowal Wildlife Park
- Rahim Yar Khan Wildlife Park
- Sulemanki Wildlife Park
- Vehari Wildlife Park
Related people - Fakhar Abbas
- Uzma Khan
Related organizations - SAZARC
- Category
- Commons
Zoos, aquariums, and aviaries Types of zoos Conservation Lists Animals Other topics - Animals in captivity
- Animal training
- Behavioral enrichment
- Captive breeding
- Frozen zoo
- Immersion exhibit
- Nocturnal house
- Wildlife conservation
- Zookeeper
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- Category
- Commons
Categories:- Mansehra District
- Conservation in Pakistan
- Bird conservation
- Pheasants
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