Five peacocks gifted by India have arrived at UN Geneva’s Ariana Park, a gesture hailed as a beautiful partnership. The birds, 4 blue and 1 white, replenish the local population and continue a long-standing diplomatic tradition.
The United Nations Geneva has welcomed five young peacocks, a gift from India, to its grounds at the Palace of Nations, continuing a long-standing tradition at the site. The Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations, New York, hailed the gift as “another dimension of partnership” between India and the UN. “Another dimension of partnership: gifts young peacocks to @UNGeneva. As the national bird, peacocks have a special place in the heart of every Indian,” the Mission wrote on X.
A Diplomatic Gesture
Welcoming the gift, the UN Geneva wrote, “Move over, panda diplomacy: five young peacocks have arrived at @UNGeneva, a gift from India continuing a tradition older than the UN itself. Meet the newest (and most dazzling) diplomats in Geneva.”
Replenishing a Century-Old Tradition
The strategic move to introduce four blue peacocks and one rare white male aims to replenish the grounds’ peafowl population, which had dwindled to just a single surviving bird. The new arrivals are currently housed in a temporary, spacious aviary in Ariana Park to acclimate to their surroundings before being granted free rein of the estate, according to UN News.
Continuing a Historic Bond
Reflecting on the event, UN Geneva Director-General Tatiana Valovaya stated, “We are very happy to welcome five new peacocks, four blue, one white in typical United Nations colours: blue and white. And we have created a temporary house for them. They will stay here for the next three months…and then they will be allowed to move freely and enjoy the hospitality of the Ariana Park.”
This donation marks a continuation of diplomatic history between the UN and India, mirroring a 1981 gesture when then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi sent a breeding pair to Geneva, UN News reported.
Addressing the gesture, Arindam Bagchi, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of India to the UN, noted, “This is really a privilege for the Indian mission here to be able to donate five peacocks, ‘Pavo cristatus’, to [UN Geneva]. There is a tradition of having peacocks here. We have donated in 1981 and are delighted to be able to continue this tradition.” (ANI)
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