After 45 years, India once again sends peacocks to UN in Geneva

In 1951, the Swiss newspaper chronicled the last surviving peacock on the United Nations office in Geneva's lawns, pondering if the bird would find a companion or successor. Over the years, peacocks were occasionally spotted in Geneva, but it wasn't until 1981 that India sent a pair of breeding peafowl from Delhi Zoo as a gift to the UN.

This week, India sent five peacocks to the UN, marking 45 years since the previous gift. All five peacocks are males, with four being blue and one white, reminiscent of the UN's blue and white colors. At a ceremony held on Friday, India's permanent representative to the UN, Ambassador Arindam Bagchi, presented the peacocks to UNOG Director-General Tatiana Valovaya.

The gesture emphasizes India's enduring partnership with the UN and its commitment to multilateralism and international cooperation. Peacocks have been a part of Ariana Park, home to the UNOG, for over a century. The new peacocks will stay at the UNOG for three months before being allowed to roam freely in Ariana Park. Dr. Tobias Blaha, a veterinarian and director of Bioparc Genève, will oversee the birds. The UNOG plans to hold a competition to name the peacocks.