'Community Reserve and Breeding Centre for Peacocks' First of its kind in BIHAR,in Bapu dham under Kalyanpur block in East Champaran District.

Indian Peacock or peafowl - the national bird of India - is one of the most beautiful indigenous birds of India. Indian peacock is known for beautiful feathers and romantic dance under the black-clouded sky. Owing to its national importance and religious sanctity, peacock are abundantly found in each part of India. Lord Krishna is always presented with colourful feathers of peacock. Indian peacock is also regarded as the vehicle of Shanmukha son of Lord Shiva. Their depiction in the work of art and literature has been of great value. 

 In order to increase population of the national bird, peacock, the state government has chalked out a plan to set up a 'Community Reserve and Breeding Centre for Peacocks' at Madhopur-Gobind village under Kalyanpur block in East Champaran district, which has become natural habitat to a large numbers of peacocks since 1990, first of its kind in Bihar. 

Under the scheme, the environment and forest department has launched an ambitious plan for plantation of different types of saplings in the village on the bank of canal and government land to make natural habitat for peacocks. Divisional forest officer (DFO) L B Manjhi said that plantation work will be launched soon. This unique village has been listed in the route-chart of Bihar State Tourism Development Corporation (BSTDC) and Navin Kumar, deputy general manager of BSTDC, Patna, recently visited this village for proper verification and to see the road communication. 

Madhopur-Gobind, a non-descript village near Chakiya on the western fringe of NH-28 Kolkata-New Delhi road is increasingly becoming a centre of attraction for rural people as well as foreign tourists as it is 17 KM north from the tallest Budha stupa at Kesariya. 

Chief minister Nitish Kumar during his recent 'Seva Yatra' in East Champaran visited the village on April 20 and he went in orchards and bamboo bushes to see the peacocks. Expressing happiness, he assured the villagers that a team of bird expert will examine the possibilities to develop it and he asked the environment and forest department officials to prepare a plan to boost the numbers of peacocks as well as their protection. He said peacocks prefer to live on trees, especially on fruits bearing trees. 

On the direction of CM Nitish Kumar, a two-member team of Indian Bird Conservation Network (IBCN) of Mumbai and DFO, Motihari, visited the village and discussed with the villagers about the living of peacocks. They examined the soil, environment and habits and food of the birds. They identified places in the village to develop safe nesting, safe breeding and protection of their eggs. 

Bihar state co-ordinator of IBCN Arbind Mishra talking to TOI said, he had already submitted a blue print of a plan to the government to increase the numbers of peacocks, protect their eggs and develop locations for safe nesting. There is big threat from a large number of dogs in the village, who are habitual eater of the eggs of peacocks . Dogs and children destroy 80% eggs as he has gathered from the villagers. There is a need to increase awareness among the children and youths of this village to protect the peacocks.