The state bird of Rajasthan - Great Indian Bustard (GIB) - is a highly endangered specie with less than one hundred of them surviving in the wild. Though, over the years the government had devised several plans to save the specie, it appears the recent project to form a functioning hatchery and captive breeding centre will be the one that will see the light of day and it is being hoped that the plan will save the avian specie.
The state bird of Rajasthan - Great Indian Bustard (GIB) - is a highly endangered specie with less than one hundred of them surviving in the wild. Though, over the years the government had devised several plans to save the specie, it appears the recent project to form a functioning hatchery and captive breeding centre will be the one that will see the light of day and it is being hoped that the plan will save the avian specie.
Recently, the state government, central government through Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) and Wildlife Institute of India (WII) came into a tri-party MoU to save the bird. “For the purpose of setting up a GIB captive breeding centre, the area around Sorsan in Kota district has been finalised. Sorsan has had GIBs in the past, but their population went extinct and setting up of breeding centre would help in bringing the specie back to life here,” sources said.
While the captive breeding programme for the bird might sound like an alien idea, however the programme has been successfully implemented in Arab countries where Houbara bustard, a winter migrant to Thar Desert of Rajasthan, has been bred and now the population is in thousands.
Notably, for setting up the egg hatchery, a team from the WII is currently in the state and surveying possible locations. Sources reveal that the hatchery could be set up around Pokhran town. “There is a conservation enclosure at Ramdevra, just ten kilometers from Pokhran, where the Great Indian Bustards have bred in the past. An area of around a hundred acres is needed to set up the hatchery and that would be a good place to do so,” a highly placed sources in the forest department informed.
Notably, the WII team is still looking at prospective sites to start the hatchery. Once a site is chosen, the hatchery will be constructed according to specific details required for the purpose and specially trained personnel will be deployed for the project. Training in this regard will also be imparted to a select few forest officials.
MOU Inked
- Recently, the state government, central government through Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) and Wildlife Institute of India (WII) came into a tri-party MoU to save the bird.
- “For the purpose of setting up a GIB captive breeding centre, the area around Sorsan in Kota district has been finalised.”
- “Sorsan has had GIBs in the past, but their population went extinct and setting up of breeding centre would help in bringing the specie back to life here,” sources said.
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