The captive breeding programme for the critically endangered Great Indian Bustard has entered its fourth year with the hatching of two new chicks at a conservation facility in Rajasthan, taking the total number of birds in captivity to 70.
Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Bhupender Yadav announced the development on Friday, calling it an important milestone in the country’s efforts to conserve one of its most threatened bird species.
The minister said the two chicks hatched earlier this week at the Conservation Breeding Centre under the Project Great Indian Bustard. One chick was born through natural mating while the other was produced through artificial insemination.
“Project Great Indian Bustard has entered the fourth year of its captive breeding programme with two new chicks hatched this week. With this, the tally of birds in captivity has reached 70, marking an important milestone for GIB conservation efforts,” Yadav said in a post on X.
The minister said that some of the chicks bred in captivity this year are expected to be soft released into the wild, a crucial step aimed at gradually reintroducing the species into its natural habitat.
He added that the conservation initiative is progressing steadily under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and expressed confidence that the programme will help secure the future of the species.
Yadav also congratulated officials of the Rajasthan Forest Department for their efforts in achieving the latest milestone.
The Great Indian Bustard, once found across large parts of the Indian subcontinent, is now among the world’s most endangered birds, with a rapidly declining population mainly confined to parts of Rajasthan. The captive breeding programme was launched to prevent the species from slipping closer to extinction and to support long-term population recovery in the wild.
