India donates five peacocks to UN Geneva, reviving decades-old tradition

A glimpse of a peacock at Delhi Zoo. Photo Courtesy: PTI

India has donated five Indian peacocks, including a rare white-feathered one, to the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG), reviving a decades-old tradition.

At a special ceremony held on Friday, India's Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva, Arindam Bagchi, formally handed over the five peacocks to UNOG Director-General Tatiana Valovaya, highlighting the country's rich natural heritage and commitment to multilateralism.

The five young peacocks comprise four blue peafowl and one white-feathered male, reflecting the blue and white colours associated with the United Nations.

The donation marks the second time India has presented peacocks to UNOG. In 1981, then prime minister Indira Gandhi sent a breeding pair from the Delhi Zoo.

"The Indian Peacock, a symbol of grace, beauty and resilience, represents India's enduring commitment to the conservation of biodiversity and environmental stewardship," the Indian mission said.

Valovaya expressed appreciation to the Indian government for the gesture, according to a statement issued by the Permanent Mission of India in Geneva.

"It's really a dream habitat for them," said Tobias Blaha, Director of Geneva Bioparc zoo, which will oversee the birds' care along with UN staff.

The peacocks will initially remain in an enclosed habitat for around three months before being allowed to roam freely in Ariana Park, where the UN's European headquarters is located.

The 46-hectare Ariana Park is one of the biggest and most prestigious parks in Geneva. The City of Geneva made the park available initially to the League of Nations and then to the United Nations for its offices, for as long as the UN exists.

Peacocks have been part of Ariana Park for more than a century, with the tradition predating the establishment of the League of Nations and the United Nations.

The tradition dates back to Swiss archaeologist and art collector Gustave Revilliod, who bequeathed the estate where the UN complex now stands to the city of Geneva in 1890.

Most of the birds that visitors can see today were donated to the UNOG in 1997 by a zoo in Japan.

India's donation adds to the biodiversity of the UN premises and reflects the country's natural heritage and cultural ethos, the Indian mission said.

The gesture also underscores India's longstanding partnership with the UN and reaffirms its commitment to multilateralism and international cooperation, it added.

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