Idupulapaya peacock sanctuary starved of funds
Decades-old forest area was set up by YSR.
ANANTAPUR: The Idupulapaya peacock sanctuary near Vempalle in Kadapa district faces a severe fund crunch and lack of facilities. The sanctuary mainly has only shrubs with some tree plantations and a nursery run by the AP forest department. The then chief minister Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy initiated establishing a peacock-breeding centre near Idupulapaya in 2008 as it was seen an ideal location for the birds.
As many 67 peacocks and peahens were taken from Tirupati zoo and other parts for breading. The management was entrusted with the forest department. Estimates pointed to 104 birds in the breeding centre. There were five enclosures of which two were for chicks. When clouds gather over Idupulapaya, locals got to see the dance of peacocks.
The breeding centre was developed at an estimated cost of Rs 50 lakh. But, fund shortage was the cause for worry as there were more than 200 birds a year ago.
In the early stage, peacocks were brought from Hyderabad, Tirupati zoos along with locally available eggs in the forest for hatching. After attaining the age of two, peacocks were released into the forest. But numbers were dwindling which was reportedly due to insufficient funds and staff shortage, sources said.