By Pradeep Kumar
The peacocks open up their feathers before rain or dance with swinging feathers to attract peahens to mate. Peacocks mate mainly during April to September. But peacocks in flock opening up feathers on busy highway not to attract peahens but to cause traffic is exceptional.
Peacocks flocking on a road, captured in a video on May 17 last by IFS officer Parveen Kaswan – went viral. Captioned – Amazing traffic jam by the national bird – the video taken received more than 24,000 likes from nature lovers. Though unimaginable but it is true.
Mother Nature has been reclaiming its space by healing itself with air getting cleaner, wildlife taking over the streets across India during COVID-19 triggered lockdown since March 24.
One user said, “I would really like this happens for a long time, animals reclaiming what was once theirs.” Another wrote, “Wow…. such an interesting and pleasing traffic jam….don’t mind getting stuck for hours.”
Someone tweeted, “Kind of traffic jam I wouldn’t mind. Our national bird is so gorgeous.” Yet another joked, “Oh my goodness! We knew there would be traffic build up once again as lockdown begins to lift. But this was more than expected! I pity the poor traffic police officer who has to deal with that…No lane discipline. Hogging the middle of the road…And so very distracting.”
Those who have not crossed National Highway 37 (NH 37) that passes through Kaziranga National Park (KNP) in Assam famous for one horn rhinoceros would be unable to conceive about dancing or flying peacocks.
The NH poses serious threat to wildlife of KNP for which India’s longest flyover has been planned to protect its wildlife.
The Centre has plan to build the 35-km flyover over NH 37 to protect wild animals from being hit by vehicles. This flyover divided into three segments will be the longest in India. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) was entrusted with preparing a detailed project report (DPR), likely to be worth Rs 600 crore, and the project work would start on completion of tendering process.
Small and big animals, including elephants and rhinos pass through the NH-37 being an animal corridor for which the flyover has been proposed to protect the animals from being hit by vehicles while crossing the NH, said Assam Forest Minister Parimal Suklabaidya.
KNP director P Sivakumar said the alignment of the flyover was recently prepared by the Wildlife Institute of India. The 18-km first segment of the flyover will be the lengthiest. Once ready and open for vehicular traffic, it will be used by those who intend to cross without halting while those like to visit the park and various nearby resorts would use the existing highway, he added.
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