Naina Devi Himalayan Bird Conservation Reserve located at Kilbury in Nainital was dedicated to the public on Thursday. State Forest Minster Dinesh Aggarwal dedicated the reserve which is home to some of the endangered bird species like bearded vulture and Himalayan griffon and a variety of bird species including kalji pheasant, goldcrest, koklass pheasant, hill partridge, black-chinned babbler, black-throated tit, rock bunting, green-tailed sunbird, to name a few.
Apart from the bird species, some of the mammals including barking deer, yellow-throated marten, yellow-bellied weasel, stoat, himalayan goral are also present in this reserve.
It may be recalled that the Naina Devi Himalayan Bird Conservation Reserve was declared as reserve on March 7. The total notified area under this conservation reserve is 111.9 sq km.
Many tributaries of Ramganga flow through this reserve. These riverine tributaries flowing through the conservation reserve not just add to its biodiversity but provide a suitable environment to the fauna.
Interestingly, as the said bird conservation reserve is known for its rich biodiversity, there are a few hamlets inside and around the periphery of this sanctuary including Barapathar, Kilbury and Vinayak.
Speaking on the occasion, the Forest Minister emphasised on the need to integrate the wildlife and forest with livelihood of the people.
“There are four conservation reserves in Uttarakhand. We have to integrate these conservation reserves with eco-tourism involving people of the adjacent villages,” he added.
At the same time, he called for conservation of flora and fauna. The unscientific exploitation of natural resources including forests, needs to be checked, he said.
More so, there is a need to open tourist circles in hill areas so that more tourists could be attracted there, he further said.