PESHAWAR: The initiative of hatching Ostrich eggs with the objective of promoting population of the world’s largest bird in the region could not succeed and Wildlife Department is planning another attempt in current years breeding season.
Wildlife Department of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had arranged a new incubator in D.I.Khan for hatching of Ostrich eggs.
“We had arranged a new incubator for hatching of eggs of ostrich with the plan of keeping the grown up chicks at different wildlife parks of the province,” said Khan Malook, Divisional Wildlife Officer (DFO) D.I.Khan Division.
Talking with APP, Khan Malook said he has a pair of ostrich at Wildlife Park of D.I.Khan which laid eggs and we decided to improve population of the bird by hatching through incubator.
Ten eggs were kept in the incubator but the attempt of artificial brooding could not succeed as all the eggs were found infertile.
Khan Malook informed that in D.I.Khan electricity disruption is much high and therefore he decided to keep incubator in his office where arrangements have been made for a five KV solar system.
We are also investigating reasons causing failure in hatching and would try to make next attempt with improved measures to get desired results, he added.
This year after the breeding season which starts in March to April another attempt would be made by collecting eggs, he went on to say.
In response to a question about natural breeding of bird, he said according to experience Ostrich did not sit on eggs during captivity.
The process of brooding by Ostrich is mostly in natural environment and through this process the chicks will also be less in number.
Khan Malook said Wildlife Parks are meant for promotion of tourism, research and breeding of rare wild species.
Ostrich is an exotic species and very rare in our region and for its promotion the process of egg hatching has been taken.
Soon the grown-up chicks of Ostrich will be shifted to enclosures at different wildlife parks in the province where this breeding practice continues and help in increasing the number of world’s largest bird in the province.
He also apprised that few pairs of Ostrich are also kept in wildlife park of Lakki Marwat. He said weather of Pakistan suits Ostrich keeping both in captivity and natural environment.
However, for safety and protection of the birds from the eyes of poachers, presently it is kept in captivity at parks and zoos.
