5 endangered Khaleej pheasants, 10 red junglefowl released in Mahananda wildlife sanctuary in WB

Sukna (West Bengal) [India], November 27 (ANI): The West Bengal forest department on Friday released five endangered Khaleej pheasants in the Mahananda wildlife sanctuary, along with 10 red junglefowl.

Khalij pheasants are listed in Schedule 1 of the Wildlife Protection Act, while the red jungle fowls are listed in Schedule 3.

"The Khaleej pheasants have been released after captive breeding at Dowhill in Kurseong. A bird festival will be held in the sanctuary to make people aware about the different bird species found in the region," said Principal Chief Conservative of forest and wildlife Vinod Kumar Jadav.

Khaleej pheasants (Lophura Leucomelana) are mostly found in the Himalayan forest especially in the Himalayan foothills from Pakistan to Thailand and are most commonly seen near water and in dense undergrowth.

The red junglefowl (Gallus gallus) is a tropical member of the pheasant family, mostly found in the lower Himalaya from Jammu and Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh, Shiwalik, Terai, the North East and Eastern India.

The Mahananda wildlife sanctuary is spread over 158 square kilometres and houses different types of animals. (ANI)