AfricaPress-Tanzania: THE peafowls that President John Magufuli awarded Mama Maria Nyerere last Saturday have arrived at Mwitongo in Butiama, Mara region with the former Tanzania’s First Lady thanking the President for the present.
Speaking to journalists on the arrival of the 25 peafowls on behalf of her mother, Mr Madaraka Nyerere, said the rare birds arrived at Mwitongo, the home of the late Mwalimu Nyerere on Sunday.
“First Mama Maria would like to thank President Magufuli for this huge and significant gift”, the son of the founding Father of the Nation said on Tuesday.
Mr Madaraka said the birds would turn Mwitongo into an amazing garden that would eventually attract more visitors who wish to pay courtesy calls on the home village of Mwalimu which is equipped with rich, historical collections on Mwalimu.
“These are indeed beautiful birds and Butiama is going to look more beautiful. We thank President Magufuli for the decision,” he added.
Besides Mama Maria, he said the entire family of Mwalimu Nyerere , the clan of Mtemi Nyerere Burito are also grateful to the President for the present .
Mwitongo, Mr Madaraka said, is a potential historical and cultural tourism destination in the country.
Thus, the presence of the peafowls will help to sustain the history of the late Father of the Nation, he said.
Mr Madaraka commended President Magufuli’s outstanding conservation effort which has seen the number of peacocks increasing from 403 to 2,260 in recent years.
President Magufuli recently gifted all other ex- presidents 25 peafowls each at a colourful event held in Dodoma to lay a foundation stone for the construction of State House Offices in Dodoma.
Mr Madaraka said conservation efforts by President Magufuli reflects Mwalimu Nyerere’s declaration (Arusha Manifesto) on the importance of conserving wildlife for the present and future generations.
He equally commended the previous heads of state for a job well done in protecting and conserving the peafowls.
“I have been tipped by Mama Maria that the peacocks were received by Mwalimu Nyerere from Zanzibar, it was Zanzibar’s President, by then, Aboud Jumbe who provided them and Mwalimu Nyerere began to protect the birds “, he said.
Peafowl are a type of pheasant and are capable of flight. Peacocks and peahens are respectively the males and females of the peafowl species.
They are some of the most widely recognized birds in the world, due to their beautiful blue-green plumage and spotted tail feathers, which fold open into an elaborate fan.
Peacocks unfold their tail feathers in order to impress females, though most of their displays go ignored
