The Nicobar Pigeon falls under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. Only a thousand of these birds are found in the wild today. Kankaria Zoo has 17 of them. The pigeons bred here are sent to other zoos in the country. Already, four pigeons have been sent to the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology at Hyderabad, six to Nadankanan Zoo in Orissa, four to Shakarbaug Zoo in Junagadh and two to Indroda Park in Gandhinagar.

“We have two pairs of Nicobar Pigeons here. They belong to Andaman and Nicobar Islands, but have been breeding here for many years. Although we cannot provide them with the wild food and atmosphere of Nicobar forests, they are comfortably staying here,” said Dr R K Sahu, superintendent of the zoo.

Sahu added that breeding of birds is not as easy as compared to animals. Therefore, the zoo makes it sure that the birds get a suitable nesting atmosphere. Some birds like high nests while some are comfortable on the ground. Even accommodating birds of the same sex can be counter-productive, as sometimes they break each other’s eggs.

The birds feed on fruits, soaked grains and chopped greens. They breed once a year and lay only one egg. The incubation period is about 30-40 days. The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has sanctioned a fund of Rs 2 crore for the overall development of the zoo. In the last 10 years, the zoo has received almost over Rs 2 crore from the government.

“The government has also showed its interest in encouraging the breeding of the Nicobar Pigeons in Kankaria Zoo with all facilities for them. In future, if the bird becomes extinct in their original habitat, then pigeons from our zoo will be sent to Chidiyatapu Zoo in Andaman and Nicobar Islands to keep the species alive over there,” Sahu said.

The Central Zoo Authority has defined the process of the upkeep of animals in zoos. Any zoo that does not follow the norms faces the risk of closure. As a practice, the zoos keep a record of the complete information about the pedigree, food habits, schedule of medicines and other details of the animals.

“Local awareness regarding the threatened species thriving in their locality should be promoted by the Forest Department and other local NGOs involved in conservation. The community level participation should be encouraged in the management and conservation programmes of the pigeons,” said Sonal Dehskar of the Gujarat Ecology Society.

Dr R K Sahu believes that education can be a constructive tool to preserve endangered species like the Nicobar Pigeon. “We receive a lot of entries for internships and a considerable number of young students are opting for PhDs in Zoology. This awareness will further help them to conserve many species. Zoos have always played an important role to sensitise and educate people about many species,” he said.

Sahu added: “I believe in the friends-for-zoo scheme. If people adopt an animal or a bird from the zoo, each such contribution can conserve many species that are on the verge of extinction. The customers have to only pay for the food and health expenditure of their chosen species for a year or more and maintenance will be done by the zoo authorities. They can also keep a check on how their pet is fed and taken care of.”