Defying drought, desertification, peacocks flourish in a Pakistani wildlife sanctuary

In this remote and arid corner of Pakistan near the Indian border, peacocks flutter their iridescent tail feathers trying to attract the attention of drab peahens pecking for seeds in the sandy ground.

For decades, the Indian Blue Peafowl, which is only found in the wild in Pakistan's Tharparkar region and in a small area of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, had been under severe threat because of long dry spells. Deforestation and drought have led to a loss of habitat and food sources for the flora and fauna of the arid region, forcing many species to die off or to move elsewhere.

Now, however, wildlife officials of Sindh province claim that the Rann of Kutch Wildlife Sanctuary in Tharparkar District is seeing a comeback and there are tens of thousands of peafowl among other species of birds and animals thanks to efforts to provide water all year around and to stop hunters and poachers.

"We are trying to return this place to the peafowl's natural habitat so that we can keep them here," Deputy Conservator of Wildlife Mirpurkhas Division Mir Aijaz Talpour said.

The sanctuary lies in a huge desert marsh. During the monsoon season, it is a lush, green wetland. But when the rains stop, everything dries up. Due to climate change, the annual rains have become increasingly unpredictable as have temperatures which can exceed 45 degrees Celsius in the dry months. Human intervention is increasingly needed to ensure that the fauna are able to access water until the rain starts again.

Amid the habitat challenges, the peafowl population hit a low in 2011, officials said, when a viral disease swept through the area leaving only about 200,000 survivors.

That was when the eight staff who cover the vast area stepped up their conservation efforts, providing more nutritious grains and digging more ponds to retain water. Conservation staff now make the rounds during the hot months with bottles of water, filling troughs and bowls. Officials speculate the peacocks have increased five-fold from the crisis period.

Sanctuary residents have also been doing their part to support the peafowl population. New hamlets have sprung up in recent years and although human encroachments eat into the habitat of the wildlife, they also increase water and food sources, as people dig new wells and grow crops, officials said.

"I came here six years ago, and saw these birds in a miserable condition, with no food and water," said Khetoo Mahraj, a villager who used to live in Mithi, capital of Tharparkar District. "I left my work and everything there, and came here to feed these birds."

The Rann of Kutch Wildlife Sanctuary is on its way to becoming Pakistan's little-known success story in peacock conservation.

Despite the overall drought tendency, officials say the last two monsoons which last from June to August have been wetter than usual and that has also given some respite.

"In one 'tehsil' (sector of sanctuary), we have located more than 150,000 peafowl. We are carrying the census forward," said Talpour. "We have seven sectors in all, and 23,000 sq km of area that we are surveying. God willing, the numbers will turn out to be in the millions."