A peacock at Patna zoo. Telegraph picture

The government plans to promote a peacock habitat in East Champaran to push the rare bird’s population in the state.

Madhopur-Gobind village in East Champaran, around 200km north of Patna, is immensely popular because of peacocks. Many also call it Mor Gaon (village of peacocks).

The village has caught the eyes of the environment and forests department officials, who intend to develop the hamlet into a peacock breeding centre.

Sources said in 1950, a villager had brought a peacock and a peahen to the village. And since then their numbers multiplied and the village now has at least 100 such birds.

B.N. Jha, the principal chief conservator of forests, said on Friday he and a team of officers visited the village and a blueprint to create a peacock breeding centre or a park was being prepared.

“The village is unique. From just two birds, the number has risen to 100. The village is fairly big in size and consists of bamboo trees where peacocks mostly live. According to our initial findings, the birds have never tried to leave the village. The villagers, too, don’t harm them,” the senior officer said.

He added that though the plan is in its initial stage, the department is very keen on setting up a proper breeding centre in the village.

“The plan is being worked out and a blueprint will be ready in a couple of months. We would place the blueprint before the state government as soon as it is prepared,” Jha said. The officer said the outlay for creating such a centre was being decided.

“We will not make any major changes in the area. The natural habitat of the birds would be kept intact. At present, stray dogs pose a threat to the peacocks’ eggs. We would create a huge enclosure, which would be open from above. The birds will be able to move and fly wherever they want,” the officer said.