Independent researcher Mritunjay Sharma has discovered a unique tree near Hazaribagh town, which looks like peacocks.

Talking to The Telegraph Online, Sharma, who is known for his various discoveries, including the largest anthill in India, said he saw the peacock tree while roaming in the forests. And as people would leave their homes to buy essential commodities, so would Sharma keep travelling in the rural areas of the town to track changes during the lockdown period.

Luck favoured him when he found a banyan tree, which looks like a peacock, on Shekha Badasi Road in Sadar block.

“It was a big surprise for me,” said Sharma, who also recently spotted a barking deer near the foothills of the popular Canary.

He said three branches of the tree has taken a beautiful shape, which was amazing to see, as it was similar to three peacocks. He said the place is only 3kms away from Hazaribagh town, and if developed, will attract tourists.

According to the researcher, local conditions and wind pressure lead to unique formations in tall trees.

Apart from discovering the largest anthill in the country, for which he earned a place in the Limca Book of Records, Sharma is credited for discovering an elephant tree, an eggshell mountain, some beautiful butterflies, a rare moth on Canary Hills, the second largest tree of the country in Ichak, and a dancing forest along Sitagarha road.

He said the concept of tourism has changed in most countries.

“I checked on the Internet and came to know that many countries developing such findings are attracting huge footfalls. I gave a proposal to the district administration before lockdown regarding the development of such findings for attracting tourists,” he said.

Sharma said Hazaribagh has many amazing discoveries lying unnoticed.

“And so I am working here to bring them into the knowledge of the local people and officials,” he added.