Punjab to set up breeding centre for state bird
July 17th, 2011 - 7:44 pm ICT by IANSChandigarh, July 17 (IANS) The Punjab government Sunday said it would set up a breeding centre to save the state bird - ‘Baaz’, a hawk species, that has a significant place in the religion and culture of the state.
Forests and Wildlife Minister Arunesh Shakir said that the breeding centre would be set up at the Chhatbir Zoo near Chandigarh shortly to save the Baaz (Eastern Goshawk) from extinction. The first few species of the bird will be imported from other countries, he said.
“This bird has a great religious and cultural significance in Sikh history. Being connected with the tenth guru, Gobind Singh, Punjabis are emotionally attached to Baaz and its declining numbers have worried them. The situation has come to a point that whenever a Baaz is seen anywhere in Punjab, people from nearby areas start assembling to have a glimpse of this religious symbol,” the minister said.
Guru Gobind Singh used to keep a Baaz which used to sit on his shoulder.
The minister said that under the breeding centre plan the Eastern Goshawk would be bred after being imported and a proper environment created in the centre for its breeding.
- Punjab, Pakistan to exchange wildlife - Sep 25, 2011
- Punjab comes to peacock's aid - Jun 02, 2011
- 667 child labourers freed in Punjab in a week - Jun 30, 2011
- Punjab zoo to have toy train - Jun 22, 2010
- Punjab bans advertisements by doctors - Oct 30, 2011
- Punjab to plant over one crore saplings this monsoon - Jun 27, 2011
- Colourful birds evolve faster - May 14, 2012
- Punjab zoo introduces battery-run vehicles for visitors - Oct 28, 2009
- Punjab to create 'green wall' around industrial hubs - Jun 15, 2011
- Punjab gets country's tallest religious tower - Nov 30, 2011
- It's SAD! Seven Punjab ministers, speaker trounced - Mar 07, 2012
- Bored of dogs? Adopt a lion - Oct 22, 2009
- 'Virasat-e-Khalsa' opened at Anandpur Sahib - Nov 25, 2011
- Sarus cranes seen in Pakistan after a decade - May 27, 2012
- Endangered pheasant species recouping (With Image) - Aug 30, 2011
Tags: breeding centre, chandigarh, chhatbir zoo, extinction, glimpse, goshawk, guru gobind singh, hawk, july 17, nearby areas, proper environment, punjab government, punjabis, religion and culture, religious symbol, shakir, state bird, state forests, tenth guru