Survival, Habitat: Challenges in Rewilding Great Indian Bustard, Pg13

Key Highlights:

• Two captive-bred male Great Indian Bustards (GIBs) were released into the wild for the first time in Rajasthan’s Desert National Park.
• This pilot release is a crucial step in the rewilding efforts under Project GIB, a joint initiative by the Centre, Wildlife Institute of India, and state governments.
• The GIB population has drastically declined from an estimated 1,260-1,400 in the 1970s to only about 150 currently, with the majority in Rajasthan.
• Major threats include habitat loss, hunting, poaching, and collisions with renewable energy power lines due to their poor frontal vision.

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Detailed Insights:

• The rewilding process involves releasing captive-bred GIBs, which were hand-reared after collecting eggs from the wild and incubating them artificially.
• These released birds are fitted with transmitters for remote monitoring of their coordinates and movement patterns.
• Challenges to long-term recovery include ensuring the survival of released birds, habitat restoration, and mitigating threats from power lines and limestone mining.
• The Supreme Court has intervened, ordering protection measures, demarcating "priority areas," and mandating the underground burial of 80 km of power lines in Rajasthan.
• Experts emphasize the critical need for restoration and protection of grassland ecosystems, which are often overlooked in conservation efforts.
• "Afforestation" of grasslands is considered detrimental to GIB habitats, as these birds require open, flat areas.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Great Indian Bustard (GIB): A critically endangered, large, ground-dwelling bird native to Indian grasslands and deserts.
• Rewilding: The process of reintroducing captive-bred or translocated animals into their natural habitats to restore ecological processes.
• Project GIB: A comprehensive conservation program aimed at protecting and increasing the population of the Great Indian Bustard through captive breeding and habitat management.
• Desert National Park: A protected area in Rajasthan, serving as a critical habitat and the primary site for GIB conservation efforts.