{
  "id": 12351619,
  "title": "Rewilding great Indian bustards: The project and the challenges ahead",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/06/rewilding-great-indian-bustards-the-project-and-the-challenges-ahead",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-10-06T10:07:09.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Indian Express",
    "slug": "the-indian-express",
    "url": "https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/great-indian-bustard-rewilding-rajasthan-project-gib-explained-10909007/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "On October 4, a significant milestone was reached in the conservation of the critically endangered great Indian bustard (GIB). The first captive-bred males were released into the wild within Rajasthan’s Desert National Park near Jaisalmer town. This marks the beginning of a project called \"rewilding,\" which aims to reintroduce bustards that have been bred and raised in captivity. The project is a collaboration between the central government, the Wildlife Institute of India, and the governments of Rajasthan and Gujarat.\n\nThe great Indian bustard is a large, ground-dwelling bird that inhabits savannahs, grasslands, and deserts in India. Historically, it was found across 11 states, but its population has drastically declined due to hunting, poaching of eggs, conversion of open habitats into croplands and mining areas, and collisions with renewable energy power lines. In 1970, estimates suggested a wild population of 1,260-1,400, but now only around 150 remain, with a majority in Rajasthan.\n\nIn 2012-13, a long-term bustard and lesser florican project was launched in response to the decline. This project expanded in 2014, receiving funding to start a conservation breeding program. Beginning in 2019, wild GIB eggs were collected, incubated artificially, and hand-reared at two centers in Rajasthan. These hand-reared birds mated at the centers, leading to the birth of 98 chicks. Of these, two were released on Sunday, and 11 more are scheduled for wild release. The remaining birds remain at the centers for captive reproduction.\n\nRewilding involves setting up a rewilding aviary at the Ramdevra Center and a soft release facility within Desert National Park. Chicks aged between three and four months were released in these facilities to adapt to the natural environment without human imprinting. These birds have been fitted with transmitters to monitor their movements. However, the beginning of the rewilding phase is challenging, as the released birds face the threat of survival. Enclosures were selected for their grasslands and lack of human or technological interruptions. Similar experiments will need to be carried out in range states such as Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh, provided habitat improvements are made.\n\nDespite successful rewilding in Rajasthan, restoration and protection of grasslands remain crucial for bustard revival outside the state. Grassland protection has been a challenging issue as they are not traditionally considered protected areas. Forest officers have been known to convert grasslands into forests, threatening the livelihoods of pastoralists and livestock owners. In 2008, Asad Rahmani, a prominent bustard expert, warned that afforestation efforts could harm grasslands. The Supreme Court has ordered protection measures for GIBs and their habitats in Rajasthan and Gujarat, including burying power lines and creating powerline corridors. However, the court did not address limestone mining, which continues to pose a threat to the open and flat areas required by bustards.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [
    "First captive-bred GIB males released in Rajasthan’s Desert National Park",
    "Great Indian bustard population dwindled to 150 due to habitat loss and human activities",
    "Rewilding project faces challenges in grassland protection and powerline safety"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "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."
}