Relevance: GS-3 (Environment – Biodiversity & Conservation) | Source: HP Forest Dept., BNHS field reports

News

Himachal Pradesh’s captive-breeding programme for the Western Tragopan has seen significant improvement, with ~60 chicks bred since 2007.

About the Bird: Habitat & Protection Status

The Western Tragopan (Tragopan melanocephalus), also called Jujurana, is an endangered pheasant found mainly in Himachal Pradesh, with smaller populations in Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand, and parts of Pakistan.

• IUCN Status: Endangered (global population < 5,000).
• Indian Protection: Schedule I, Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
• Habitat: Temperate and subalpine forests (2,400–3,600 m) with dense undergrowth and high moisture.

Threats to Survival

• Habitat loss due to infrastructure expansion, grazing, and fuelwood collection.
• Climate change: shrinking moist temperate zones; upward habitat shift.
• Poaching, disturbance from tourism, and fragmentation of breeding sites.

Conservation Efforts 

Himachal Pradesh’s Sarahan Pheasantry began captive breeding in 2007. After early setbacks, breeding success improved markedly after 2015.

• Around 60 chicks have been successfully bred. Local communities participate through awareness campaigns, reducing disturbance and poaching.
•  Experts emphasise that habitat restoration and climate resilience are essential before any large-scale release into the wild.

Q. Consider the following statements about the Western Tragopan:

1. It is listed in Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
2. Its natural habitat lies mainly in tropical dry deciduous forests.
3. India’s only captive-breeding programme for this species is located in Himachal Pradesh.

Select the correct answer:
A. 1 and 2 only
B. 1 and 3 only
C. 2 and 3 only
D. 1, 2 and 3