Shimla, Oct 3 (IANS): Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Thursday released a pair of the highly endangered cheer pheasants near Seri village here.

Another pair along with eight chicks will be released on Friday.

Thakur said that the bird is facing extinction and the wildlife wing of the Forest Department is doing a commendable job by undertaking its captive breeding.

He hoped that the released birds would thrive in nature and its population would increase.

There is a complete ban on hunting of the bird.

He urged the wildlife department to keep the good work going in the future also so that the number of cheer pheasants could increase.

Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) Savita said that the Khadiyun Pheasantry in Chail was identified as a 'coordinating zoo' for carrying out the conservation breeding of the cheer pheasant.

The cheer pheasant, native to the western Himalayas from north Pakistan to Nepal, is listed in the Red Data Book of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), a compendium of species facing extinction.

It is included in Schedule-1 of protected species under the Wildlife Protection Act.