For the first time, captive-bred Great Indian Bustard will set foot in the wild, Pg1

Key Highlights:

• The first pilot wild release of captive-bred Great Indian Bustard (GIB) chicks is set to occur in Desert National Park, Jaisalmer.
• This marks the official commencement of the 'rewilding phase' of Project GIB, which has been under implementation since 2013.
• Two male GIB chicks, aged four to six months, will be radio-tagged to monitor their movement and behavior.
• The GIB is a critically endangered species with a wild population of approximately 140 individuals, predominantly in Rajasthan.

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Detailed Insights:

• The release of GIB chicks is a critical step for the long-term recovery of this flagship species of the Thar landscape.
• The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) has successfully bred 98 bustards in captivity at its conservation breeding centres in Jaisalmer.
• Major threats to GIB include habitat loss, poaching, predation, and collisions with power lines from renewable energy projects.
• The Supreme Court has mandated that renewable energy project power lines situated outside Desert National Park be buried underground by December 2027.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Great Indian Bustard (GIB): A critically endangered large bird, recognized as a keystone species of arid and semi-arid grasslands.
• Project GIB: A dedicated conservation initiative launched in 2013 for the long-term recovery and protection of the GIB.
• Conservation Breeding: A technique involving rearing endangered species in controlled environments to increase their numbers for eventual reintroduction into the wild.
• Rewilding: The process of reintroducing animal species, often those bred in captivity, back into their natural habitats to restore ecological processes.
• Desert National Park: A large protected area in Rajasthan, India, crucial for the conservation of desert fauna, including the GIB.
• Buxa Tiger Reserve: A protected area in West Bengal, India, part of Project Tiger, now undergoing a significant tiger reintroduction program.
• National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA): A statutory body under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, responsible for strengthening tiger conservation in India.
• Wildlife Institute of India (WII): An autonomous institution under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, engaged in wildlife research, management, and training.
• Critically Endangered: The highest risk category assigned by the IUCN Red List for species facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.
• Keystone Species: A species that has a disproportionately large effect on its natural environment relative to its abundance, often crucial for maintaining ecosystem structure.