Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Ok i have an Indian pheasant and i know here is not the appropriate forum to ask for advices but the pheasant's forum looks dead thats why i came here.

To make a long story short, around one year ago i rescued a baby pheasant that fell from its nest. The nest was destroyed by a cat so i could not just put it back in it.

I raised her ( i think it is a female)with dog pellets moisted with water.On the beggining i needed to hand feed her each 2 or 3 hours.I put her in a shoe box and brought her to my office. I hid the box in one of my table's drawers where i could feed her without being noticed by my boss.

I did that until she was big enough to eat by herself.Now she is an adult. Besides being gorgeous,she is docile, friendly, cute, loving, etc...etc... etc...As im leaving the country soon, i know i need to release her.My first thought was to release her in the garden where her parents still live but my garden is full of crows and wild cats.

I have been living in that house for almost 3 years now and i have been following what is happening to my pheasant's community.Apart from her parents, all of them are gone. All her brothers and sisters disappear as soon as they start to walk in the garden.I suppose they are being eaten by the crows and wild cats.Her parents are always busy, making nests, i can hear when the eggs hatch and the new babies start to ask for food. Then they disappear.

So my question is: Should i release her in the same garden where her parents still live although i know the cats and crows will eat her babies or probably herself as soon as they see her without her cage bars protection?

Or should i try to find another garden in order to release her, even if her parents are not there and there is the risk that she may not find another pheasant to breed?

Or, ( even better) how can i get rid of wild crows and cats? Crows are even worse because they kill the baby pheasants when they still are in the nests.

Sorry to bother you but i do love my Indian pheasant girl and i do not want her to be eaten by a cat!

Flavia

Hi!
I'd contact fish & wildlife, they may know of a sanctuary in your area for imprinted wildlife.

Valk

Releasing a hand raised bird into the wild is a death sentence for it. You should have contacted a licensed wildlife rehabilitator when you found the bird. I would suggest finding one now that can place the bird for you. Otherwise have it put down. If you abondon it to the wild after three years it will be killed or starve to death almost immediatly. It doesnt deserve to suffer that way.