
Rajasthan: After Jaisalmer, Ajmer might be new home for Great Indian Bustards
A day after drone sightings were reported on May 8 in Jaisalmer, apart from Ramgarh, Pokhran, and Barmer in Rajasthan, the forest department relocated nine newly hatched GIB chicks to the conservation centre at Arwar in Ajmer, senior WII scientist Sutirtha Dutta said.
'As the Ramdevra Centre is located near the border, and in light of the tense situation and massive drone activity, the relocation was necessary to ensure the birds' safety and protection. We are exploring the option of whether we can keep them at the Arwar Centre permanently or return them to Jaisalmer once the situation stabilises,' Dutta said.
Arwar was chosen as it already hosts the Lesser Florican Conservation Centre and is equipped with the necessary infrastructure for handling such sensitive conservation operations. Developed jointly by the WII and the forest department, the centre aims to reverse the drastic decline of the country's most endangered grassland bird, Lesser Florican (Sypheotides indicus), known for its dramatic courtship leaps during the monsoon.
Also Read: Great Indian Bustard conservation milestones: 3 born in a day, 4 in a week
The GIB chicks, aged between five to 20 days, were transported in specially designed soft-suspension vehicles to ensure their comfort and safety. 'The transportation was conducted under the supervision of expert handlers, with a dedicated team of trainers accompanying the chicks to ensure their well-being throughout the journey,' Dutta said.
'Discussions on the possibility of keeping the GIB chicks there and provide a second home for them are going on. A final decision will be taken in the coming days,' deputy conservator of forest at the Desert National Park (DNP) in Jaisalmer Brijmohan Gupta.
Also Read: Boost for fight to save Great Indian Bustard as chick born through IVF
The population of the critically endangered GIB under India's national breeding programme has doubled from its founding number in just two years. On May 9, 2025, the programme marked the hatching of its 18th chick of the year, with nine of them born through artificial insemination—a groundbreaking achievement in avian conservation. The remaining chicks were born naturally under controlled, captive conditions, officials said.
Since the beginning in June 2019, the Bustard Recovery Programme has successfully reared 62 birds in total from wild-collected eggs and through captive breeding efforts, officials added.
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Time of India
5 hours ago
- Time of India
Great Indian Bustards (GIB) revival hits roadblock again as Rajasthan refuses to share eggs, male bird with Gujarat
Gujarat's efforts to revive its Great Indian Bustard population have been thwarted again as Rajasthan refuses to share fertile eggs or male birds. This setback jeopardizes the survival of the species in Gujarat, where only three infertile females remain. AHMEDABAD: In a critical blow to the state's conservation efforts, Rajasthan has once again refused to share fertile eggs or male Great Indian Bustards (GIB), pushing one of India's most majestic birds closer to local extinction in Gujarat. Despite securing approval from the ministry of environment, forest and climate change for an innovative egg-replacement strategy - where dummy eggs were to be swapped with fertile ones from Rajasthan's breeding centre - Gujarat's project has failed to take off. The refusal, the third since 2015, has dented Gujarat's hopes, as only three female bustards remain in Kutch's Abdasa region. Although females can nest without mating, their eggs have been infertile in the complete absence of a male. The last time a male GIB was spotted in the region was in Dec 2018. Saying that strategy could have revived one of India's most critically endangered species in Gujarat's wild, senior officials said that the proposal was sent to Rajasthan for approval after the Union ministry's nod. The Gujarat forest department was hoping to implement the proposal this breeding season, which concludes in Oct. "Since it was a ministry proposal, the Rajasthan govt, instead of saying a direct no, said the experiment should be carried out in the wild on its own soil first. If successful, eggs would be shared with other states." Sources said this was the second time the Rajasthan refused to give GIB eggs. Conservation efforts in Gujarat have had their set of challenges. An official said that since 2019, the female GIBs in Abdasa have been laying and incubating infertile eggs and abandoning them some 20 days later. In 2024, the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) had offered a glimmer of hope by proposing the idea of bringing fertile eggs from Sam in Rajasthan's Jaisalmer, and having them hatched by female GIBs sighted in Abdasa. Its suggestion also made the state responsible for monitoring the eggs and ensuring these are protected from predators. This idea was discussed at the 82nd meeting of the National Board of Wildlife held at Sasan in March this year. Minutes of the meeting state, "Dr H S Singh (board chairman) mentioned that there are three female Great Indian Bustards in Gujarat. They lay infertile eggs every year. If some fertile eggs from Rajasthan can be replaced, the GIB population in Gujarat can be recovered." An official added, "Chicks were to hatch and grow in their natural habitat, as those born at the breeding centre are released in the wild only after their third generation is born." WII officials say that a male could have contributed to the local population, as the last known male in the region is believed to have either migrated to Pakistan or have died.


Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
Six GIBs sighted in Pak's Cholistan desert in rare wildlife record
Jaisalmer: Photographs showing six Great Indian Bustards roaming in Pakistan's Cholistan Desert were shared on social media by Pakistani wildlife expert and photographer Syed Rizwan Mehboob. In a post on X, Mehboob termed the sighting as a "new record" in rare wildlife sightings in Pakistan. "I clicked six critically endangered Great Indian Bustards (GIB) in the Cholistan desert today. Amazing conservation effort by Punjab Wildlife Dept - I am in tears having seen 10% of global GIB population today," he said, adding that this includes the first-ever recorded pictures of mating foreplay by the critically endangered GIBs from Pakistan's Cholistan Desert on July 20, 2025. Mehbood said his excitement stems from the realisation that GIB breeding may begin in Pakistan soon since the gular sac of the GIB, inflated as a courtship display, was visible in the photographs. Last year, five GIBs and one chick were observed in Pakistan's Cholistan. This year, the sighting of six GIBs has confirmed the existence of a pocket of GIB population in Pakistan. Dr Sumit Dookia, a senior wildlife expert associated with the ERDS Foundation, involved in community wildlife conservation in Jaisalmer, said that sighting six GIBs in a day was a rare occurrence, adding that the species requires undisturbed open grasslands. tnn


Scroll.in
15-07-2025
- Scroll.in
Five years to go, India's climate action SDGs show worsening trend
For the first time, India entered the top 100 countries in the annual Sustainable Development Report, which assesses progress on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals – SDGs. India ranked 99th out of 167 nations in the 2025 report, up from 109 in 2024 and 112 in 2023, but the data reveals that sustainability challenges remain, especially in relation to environmental goals. This year's report shows that only one-third of India's SDG targets, meant to be achieved by 2030, are 'on track', while there is limited progress on others with some even slipping backwards. India is firmly on track with progress on two of the 17 SDG goals, No Poverty (SDG 1) and Reduced Inequalities (SDG 10). Progress on others, including Zero Hunger (SDG 2), Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure (SDG 9), Sustainable Cities and Communities (SDG 11), Responsible Consumption and Production (SDG 12), and Life on Land (SDG 15), is stagnating. 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The real goal is electric cooking, powered by a greener grid. This shift won't happen overnight, but we're on the right path,' notes Palit. Sustainability falters India is witnessing rapid urbanisation and the challenges that come with it have been documented in several reports, including the recent SDG report. It assesses India's performance on Sustainable Cities and Communities (SDG 11) using four indicators – the proportion of urban population living in slums, air pollution, access to improved water source, and public transport. Except for the access to public transport, performance on the other three indicators is either stagnant or worsening. Nearly one in four urban Indians still lives in slums or informal settlements. 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