Soft Release of Two Families of Captive-Bred Cheer Pheasants at Moi Jubbar

Shimla, 6 October 2026: As part of the Wildlife Week 2026 celebrations, the Himachal Pradesh Forest Department today undertook the soft release of two families comprising nine captive-bred Cheer Pheasants at Moi Jubbar, Koti, Shimla, marking another significant milestone in the State’s efforts towards conservation and reintroduction of this threatened Himalayan pheasant.
The birds were soft released by Sh. K. Thirumal, APCCF (Wildlife), Himachal Pradesh, in the presence of Smt. Preeti Bhandari, Conservator of Forests, Wildlife Circle (South), Shimla; the Deputy Conservator of Forests, Wildlife Division, Shimla; Smt. Pratibha, Pradhan, Gram Panchayat Koti; local community members and forest staff.
The nine birds have been brought from the Cheer Pheasant Conservation Breeding Programme Facility at Chail and are being released under the Cheer Pheasant Reintroduction Programme of the Himachal Pradesh Forest Department. The release at Moi Jubbar is the third release site under the programme. Earlier, Cheer Pheasants were released at Seri and Shilli Mehli in Shimla.
The birds will initially remain in a soft-release enclosure for approximately one month, allowing them to gradually acclimatise to the local habitat and climatic conditions. During this period, the birds will be closely monitored and allowed to develop essential survival skills, including responding to predator presence, identifying and feeding on natural wild food, and adapting to the surrounding forest environment. Following successful acclimatisation, they will be released into the wild.
The programme has already demonstrated highly encouraging results. Releases undertaken during 2023 and 2024 recorded survival rates of around 92% and 100%, respectively, indicating the suitability of the selected habitats and the effectiveness of the reintroduction methodology. Particularly encouraging has been the evidence of interaction and interbreeding with wild Cheer Pheasants, followed by successful hatching of chicks, providing an important indication that captive-bred birds are successfully integrating into natural populations and contributing to their recovery.
The Cheer Pheasant (Catreus wallichii) is a species of high conservation significance and is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The species has experienced population decline due to habitat degradation, fragmentation and other anthropogenic pressures.
The Cheer Pheasant Reintroduction Programme is a flagship conservation initiative of the Himachal Pradesh Forest Department, aimed at restoring viable populations of the species in its natural habitat through scientifically managed captive breeding, habitat management, soft release, post-release monitoring and community participation.
Speaking on the occasion, APCCF (Wildlife) Sh. K. Thirumal emphasised the importance of restoring threatened wildlife species to their natural habitats and highlighted the role of local communities in ensuring the long-term success of conservation programmes. He appreciated the efforts of the wildlife wing, conservation breeding team, field staff and local communities involved in the programme.
The Forest Department expressed confidence that the successful establishment of Cheer Pheasants at the release sites will contribute to the long-term recovery and repopulation of the species in its natural range in Himachal Pradesh.
The soft release also reinforces the message of Wildlife Week 2026 — “Protecting Wildlife Habitats to Conserve Health & Livelihoods” — by demonstrating the importance of healthy natural habitats for the survival and recovery of threatened wildlife species.