{
  "id": 11545895,
  "title": "For the first time, captive-bred Great Indian Bustard will set foot in the wild",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/02/for-the-first-time-captive-bred-great-indian-bustard-will-set-foot-in-11545895",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-10-02T22:24:11.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Indian Express",
    "slug": "the-indian-express",
    "url": "https://indianexpress.com/article/india/for-the-first-time-captive-bred-great-indian-bustard-will-set-foot-in-the-wild-10904531/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "After a decade-long effort to conserve the critically endangered Great Indian Bustard (GIB), conservationists are set to undertake a crucial step this weekend. A pilot release of captive-bred GIB chicks into enclosures within the Desert National Park (DNP) in Jaisalmer marks the beginning of the 'rewilding' phase of Project GIB. The project, initiated in 2013, aims for the long-term recovery of the revered species that calls the Thar landscape home. The Union Environment Minister, Bhupender Yadav, and Rajasthan Chief Minister, Bhajan Lal Sharma, are expected to oversee the event, slated for October 4.\n\nA few chicks have already been released in Sam for a soft release, allowing them to acclimate to their surroundings away from human presence. At least two male chicks, aged four to six months, will be tagged with radio transmitters to track their movements and behaviors. The GIB, a keystone species of arid and semi-arid ecosystems, has faced threats from habitat loss, poaching, and collisions with power lines, among others.\n\nThe chicks to be released were bred and raised in captivity under the 'conservation breeding' phase of the project. A team of Wildlife Institute of India scientists incubated wild-collected eggs, hatched, and raised the chicks. In 2023, the \"jumpstart\" method was also employed, where infertile eggs laid by wild female GIBs were replaced with viable eggs from Rajasthan's captive-breeding centre. Despite a low survival rate of captive-released GIBs, between 10-30% per year, the project continues to strive for the species' recovery.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Indian Express - India",
        "title": "For the first time, captive-bred Great Indian Bustard will set foot in the wild",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/02/for-the-first-time-captive-bred-great-indian-bustard-will-set-foot-in",
        "published": "2026-10-02T22:24:11.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}