Captive-Bred Great Indian Bustards Prepared for First Wild Release

Pilot Release

Two captive-bred Great Indian Bustard chicks will step into the wild for the first time this weekend in Rajasthan. Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav and Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma are likely to attend the pilot release event on October 4 at the Desert National Park in Jaisalmer. The male chicks, aged four to six months, will be radio-tagged to track their movements and behavior inside enclosures spanning 15 to 20 square kilometers.

Breeding Efforts

Project GIB has been working since 2013 to save the critically endangered bird from extinction. The wild population currently hovers between 120 and 150 birds, with about 140 left in the wild. Wildlife Institute of India centers at Sam and Ramdevra have successfully bred at least 98 bustards in captivity. Of these, 40 were raised through artificial incubation from wild-collected eggs, while 57 were born to captive-mated parents. Scientists also used a jumpstart method earlier this year by replacing infertile eggs in Gujarat with viable ones from Rajasthan.

Challenges Ahead

Experts note that the survival rate of captive-bred bustards released in the wild is low, ranging from 10 to 30 percent each year. The released chicks must face natural threats like desert foxes and birds of prey. The timing coincides with the end of the monsoon season because the high insect load in the grasslands helps the young birds feed. Other threats to the species include habitat loss, poaching, and fatal collisions with power lines from renewable energy projects. The Supreme Court has ordered that power lines outside the park must be placed underground by December 2027.

Context

Conservation breeding programs are often used as a last resort to save animal species on the brink of extinction when their natural numbers drop too low to sustain themselves. The Great Indian Bustard is a flagship species for India's arid open natural ecosystems, meaning protecting it also helps preserve its entire grassland habitat. Reintroducing captive-raised animals into the wild is a difficult and gradual process that requires close monitoring to give the species a chance to recover.