http://www.telegraphindia.com/1100619/jsp/northeast/story_12581396.jsp
Girl gets peacock for birthday
A STAFF REPORTER
Guwahati, June 18: Peacocks have suddenly become the best birthday gifts for kids.
After seven-year-old Tejas Hazarika adopted a peacock on his birthday, it’s the turn of an eight-year-old girl residing in Calcutta.
Rheana Hazarika, who stays in Calcutta, was born on June 16 but the party will be on June 20, a Sunday. The gift is from her grandparents who reside in Guwahati.
“We were thinking of the gifts to be given on her birthday but then these do not last long and thought of giving her something which will help in instilling some values too,” Shankar Hazarika, a retired top-ranking officer of Nabard, today told The Telegraph.
“I asked her what she wanted. She said an elephant but then that would be too expensive,” Hazarika said.
The cost of adopting an elephant is around Rs 2 lakh whereas that of a peacock is Rs 4,000.
The peacock that has been adopted is 10 years old.
Hazarika said they then saw a news report in The Telegraph, “Birthday boy adopts peacock”, which inspired them to get her the bird.
“She later agreed to a peacock and is happy,” Hazarika said.
He said they had not informed the girl’s parents and would like to keep it a surprise.
The divisional forest officer of Assam State Zoo, Narayan Mahanta, expressed his happiness at the move.
“It seems that awareness on wildlife conservation has picked up in the right tempo and should intensify,” he said.
Mahanta said the cost of adopting a tiger was nearly Rs 3 lakh, a rhino around Rs 2 lakh and golden langur Rs 38,000.
To adopt birds, visitors can choose between a parakeet, which will cost Rs 1,800 and a mynah Rs 3,000.
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