Captive-Bred Bird Release Marks New Step for Great Indian Bustard Project

Four captive-bred great Indian bustards were let out into the wild at Rajasthan's Desert National Park in early October, marking a major step for Project Great Indian Bustard. One of these birds was discovered dead on October 17 after a desert fox likely attacked it the day before. Project authorities do not view this loss as a setback because wildlife experts consider a certain amount of early loss normal when animals move from captivity to the open wild. Earlier this year, a wild-hatched chick in Gujarat disappeared after a fertilised egg was sent there from a breeding centre in Rajasthan. That egg transfer was part of a special plan to help restore the bird population in Gujarat. Forest officials thought a predator took the chick, which led the state government to build better fences and improve predator management. Wildlife Institute of India scientist Sutirtha Dutta states that about thirty percent survival is normal at best for released birds. Dutta notes that the captive breeding programme achieved an eighty percent survival rate, which allowed authorities to start releasing birds after eight years instead of the initial fifteen-year plan. Around one hundred birds currently live across breeding facilities at Sam and Ramdevra in Jaisalmer. Wildlife biologist Sumit Dookia has raised concerns about a lack of public information and transparency surrounding the government project. Dookia questions how a fox managed to reach a released bird inside a protected park enclosure and asks what safety plans exist for the animals. He also questions plans involving desert fox dens, noting that the animal receives top-level legal protection under national wildlife laws. In response, Dutta clarifies that extensive removal of foxes was never planned. He explains that officials only move foxes away from specific breeding enclosures covering a tiny fraction of the massive park area to protect fragile wild bird eggs. More captive-bred birds aged five to six months are scheduled for release in November and December, depending on their health and fitness.

Context

Projects to breed endangered wildlife in human care and release them later often face high risks when animals must learn to survive natural hazards on their own. Conservationists use these costly breeding programmes as a last resort when wild populations drop to dangerously low levels, making every single surviving bird vital for the long-term survival of the species.