Situated in the foothills of the Himalayas, the Amangarh Tiger Reserve (ATR) is a young tiger reserve in Uttar Pradesh’s Bijnor district. Spreading across an area of 81 square kilometres, ATR was originally part of the Corbett Tiger Reserve. After the creation of Uttarakhand in 2000, ATR remained in Uttar Pradesh, separated from its famous counterpart. Despite its ecological richness, ATR often finds itself overshadowed, with limited resources and less attention compared to neighbouring protected areas.
I had the privilege of volunteering for a tiger monitoring project in ATR. This project involved camera trapping to monitor tiger populations. While deploying and conducting routine checks on the camera traps, I explored nearly every corner of the reserve. What I encountered was a treasure trove of biodiversity that deserves far more recognition and protection. I saw many incredible sights, but none were as memorable as the story of a peacock.
One day, my curiosity led me to visit a Van Gujjar dera or settlement. Van Gujjars are forest-dwelling nomadic tribes who have lived alongside nature for generations, tending to their livestock and relying on the forest for survival. I was eager to learn about their way of life, also because I heard about the famously delicious tea they serve to visitors. But little did I know I was about to witness something truly extraordinary.
As I stood chatting with the Van Gujjars and sipping the tea they had offered, my attention was drawn to a peacock resting on a nearby tree. I walked outside the dera to click some pictures of this peacock. The branch it perched on was curved into a perfect U-shape, almost as if nature had crafted a throne for this beautiful bird. However, what happened next left me speechless. The peacock hopped down and came toward us, curious, and unafraid.
Most peafowl in the wild are wary of humans, keeping a safe distance. However, this one seemed playful, even friendly. It was as if it belonged there, not as a wild creature, but as part of the dera.
I asked the Van Gujjars about the peacock’s unusual behaviour. What they told me was a story filled with warmth and compassion.
Some time ago, the Van Gujjars found a lone peafowl egg abandoned near their dera. With no mother in sight, they decided to give the egg a chance at life. They placed it under one of their hens and hoped for the best. To their joy, the egg eventually hatched and a tiny peacock chick emerged. Raised alongside chickens, the young peacock thrived under their care before being released into the wild to embrace its natural life.
Although it now lives freely in the wild, the peacock often returns to the tree near the dera, the very spot where its life began, as if drawn back by an invisible thread of connection to the people and place that nurtured it.
They watched it grow into a majestic bird that now roams the forest. It does not just coexist with them; it has thrived, strutting confidently through the dera and often approaching visitors with playful curiosity.
This peacock’s story stayed with me, not just for its novelty, but for what it symbolised, a beautiful example of the bond between humans and wildlife. The Van Gujjars, living in a challenging environment where every day is a balance between survival and coexistence, had shown remarkable kindness.
In return, the peacock had become more than just a bird; it was a bridge between the wild and the human world. Its playful antics brought joy to the Van Gujjar family and reminded me that sometimes the simplest acts of care can create connections that transcend species.
As I left the dera, the image of the peacock perched on its U-shaped branch and lingered in my mind. It was not just a wild creature; it was a symbol of harmony, resilience, and the unexpected bonds that form in the heart of nature.
In a world where humans and wildlife often find themselves at odds, this small dera in Uttar Pradesh held a story of hope, a story that showed how understanding and compassion can turn an abandoned egg into a cherished companion and a moment of chance into a memory of a lifetime.
Sajid Reza is a PhD Scholar at the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun
Views expressed are the author’s own and don’t necessarily reflect those of Down To Earth.