GUWAHATI: India has donated five young Indian peafowl to the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG), reviving a tradition that began in 1981 when the country first presented peacocks to the UN premises.
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The five birds, including four blue peafowl and one white-feathered male, were handed over on Friday by India's Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva, Arindam Bagchi, to UNOG Director-General Tatiana Valovaya.
The birds will initially be kept in an enclosed habitat for about three months before being allowed to roam freely in Ariana Park, where the UN's European headquarters is located. Their care will be overseen by Geneva Bioparc zoo in coordination with UN staff.
The Indian Mission in Geneva said the peacock represents India's natural heritage and biodiversity and reflects the country's commitment to environmental protection.
Valovaya expressed appreciation to the Indian government for the donation, while Tobias Blaha, Director of Geneva Bioparc, described Ariana Park as an ideal habitat for the birds.
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.
Peacocks have been part of Ariana Park for more than a century, with the tradition predating the establishment of both the League of Nations and the United Nations. The estate was bequeathed to the City of Geneva in 1890 by Swiss archaeologist and art collector Gustave Revilliod.
The 46-hectare Ariana Park was later made available to the League of Nations and subsequently to the United Nations for its offices. Most of the birds currently seen in the park were donated to UNOG in 1997 by a zoo in Japan.
The Indian mission said the latest donation adds to the biodiversity of the UN premises while reflecting India's cultural heritage and its longstanding commitment to multilateralism and international cooperation.