"It's a zero breeding year because we are first concerned about the health of the in captivity," said AK Gulati, principal chief conservator wildlife. In all, 19 of these rare birds (ten males and nine females) are in captivity at the only breeding centre of its kind in the country under a programme supported by Central Zoo Authority (CZA).
"The infection detected in the birds last year affected their breeding and we decided to give the birds rest this season," said Gulati. In the wild, the birds normally lay eggs in the summer that hatch in July.
Last season, the birds had laid 17 fertilized eggs, of which only one hatched, but the chick had died within a week. Three adult female birds also had died and post-mortem findings came up with bacterial (e-coli) infection as the cause. Read the full report here.
Source: Times News Network, Shimla.
