DNP unit welcomes two more GIB chicks
2
Jaisalmer: Scientists at the
Wildlife Institute of India
(WII) have successfully bred two more
Great Indian Bustard
(GIB) chicks through
artificial insemination
at the Sudasari Center of Desert National Park, Jaisalmer.
This achievement marks the sixth chick born entirely through artificial methods under the project.
The latest additions to the endangered species arrived when a chick hatched Thursday from an egg laid by female bustard "Sharky," followed by another successful hatching on April 27 from female "Aman." These births are part of a larger success story, with the project welcoming 15 new chicks in 2025 alone.
Dr Suthirto Dutta, GIB specialist and coordinator at WII, said that four captive-bred chicks were added to the population in the last two weeks, with successful hatchings on April 19, 23, 27, and May 1. The breakthrough was achieved using artificial insemination technology and expertise gained from Abu Dhabi's International Fund for Houbara Conservation.
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"This is not just a biological experiment's success but a milestone in giving a new lease of life to this rare bird on the brink of extinction," said Dutta.
BM Gupta, deputy conservator of forests at DNP, confirmed that sperm from a male GIB named "Tom" at the Ramdevra Breeding Center was used to successfully inseminate both females. The total population at WII's Ramdevra and Sudasari breeding centres has now reached 59 birds.
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