Why in the news?

  • Captive breeding helps in steadying Western Tragopan population in India.

Western Tragopan

  • What is it?: The Western Tragopan is one of the rarest and most threatened pheasants in the world, which is known as Jujurana (“King of Birds”) in Himachal Pradesh.
  • Features:
    • Native to the Western Himalayas of India (Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir) and Pakistan.
    • Threats: Habitat degradation and fragmentation, Poaching and Predation by feral dogs.
    • Conservation Status:
      • IUCN Red List: Vulnerable
      • CITES: Appendix I
      • Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule I species
  • Conservation Measures:
    • Included in IUCN Pheasant Specialist Group conservation strategies.
    • Himachal Pradesh declared it the State Bird.
    • Captive breeding programme at Sarahan Pheasantry, Himachal Pradesh.
    • Protected areas: Great Himalayan National Park, Kugti Wildlife Sanctuary and Tirthan Valley region.

Source: The Hindu