Can Collecting Great Indian Bustard Eggs Help in Captive Breeding of the Species?

A pair of great Indian bustards in the Thar Desert

The great Indian bustard is on the precipice towards extinction. With some 150-odd individuals remaining in the wild, primarily in the state of Rajasthan, this majestic bird's survival is in dire jeopardy due to various anthropogenic activities taking over its natural habitat. These factors include agricultural fields and a flourishing network of power lines and wind turbines. In addition, there is even a threat of predators like stray dogs that destroy the birds' eggs which further hinders the bustard's chance of survival. In a last-minute effort, wildlife researchers and the forest department have begun a hunt for the bustards' eggs in Rajasthan to start the process of captive breeding. On June 20, the team managed to collect two eggs from the wild. Earlier this year, the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), and the Rajasthan Forest Department have agreed to construct two captive breeding facilities for the bustards. The main, larger facility is being built in the village of Sorsan in the southeast part of the state, while a second, smaller facility is being constructed in Jaisalmer, close to where the birds breed. According to Rajasthan's chief wildlife warden Arindam Tomar, the facilities will take a year or two to be built but the search for eggs is on because the teams "did not want to miss this year's breeding season." He further added that the teams are permitted to accumulate up to six eggs from the wild per year. However, he also pointed out that it would be a very long and challenging road since this is the first time bustard eggs are being collected for captive breeding and protocols varying from egg incubation to rearing chicks are still being determined. Although there is a lot that still needs to be ascertained, the teams have help from the International Fund for Houbara Conservation (IFHC), an Abu Dhabi-based organization that has had some success with captive breeding of the MacQueen's bustard, a close relative of the great Indian bustard. Nigel Collar, a bustard expert and Leventis Fellow in conservation biology at BirdLife International, said in an interview that bustards are difficult birds to breed in captivity. So it remains to be seen if gathering eggs from a small population of bustards will transform into a group of breeding individuals that can later survive in the wild. Some experts like Sumit Dookia, a wildlife biologist and assistant professor from Delhi's Guru Gobind Singh Indraprashta University, are hopeful who state that collecting eggs is a step towards the right direction.

Great Indian bustard

I think it appears to be that the conservation of great Indian bustard is in the process of going in the right direction. The collecting of eggs is the first-step process in saving this species from the brink of extinction. At the same time, it is great to see that two captive breeding facilities are being built in Rajasthan for the birds. However, I also believe it is highly crucial to determine the protocols necessary for captive breeding such as egg incubation and rearing of the chicks. These aspects are important to establish a founder population of bustards, in order to revive the species' population. In addition, I strongly believe that it is crucial to implicate more efforts to ensure the survival of the current bustard population in Rajasthan. This includes identifying areas where stray dogs frequent and capture them to prevent any further loss of the birds. Furthermore, efforts should be taken to set up power lines underground to prevent bustards and other birds from being electrocuted when flying. Furthermore, Gujarat needs to follow Rajasthan's example by looking for and collecting bustard eggs in Kutch and establish a captive breeding facility. The great Indian bustard is teetering on the brink of extinction and it is high time to implement strong and sufficient measurements to save it.

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Why are Africa's Elephants Still Threatened, Despite the Decline in Poaching?

African elephant

In 2014, Botswana implemented a ban on elephant poaching under the presidency of Ian Khama who is known for his conservationist fundamentals and a strong stand against poaching and trophy hunting. However, in 2018, when Mokgweetsi Masisi became president, he established a committee to reexamine the ban and as a result, the country's government overturned the ban allowing trophy hunting of elephants. The decision caused outrage among conservationists who have campaigned for preserving the ban. The news relates to a recent article published in the journal Nature Communications by a team of scientists from University of Freiburg, University of York, and the Convention on the International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES). The study disclosed that the yearly mortality rate of elephants from poaching declined from an estimated 10 percent in 2011 to less than 4 percent in 2017. The researchers investigated data from 53 protected areas across 29 African countries between 2002 and 2017. They concluded that even though poaching of elephants has declined, the animals remain threatened, especially without a continuing action to clear up corruption, poverty, and diminish the demand for ivory. One of the authors of the article, Dr. Colin Beale from University of York's Biology Department, stated in order to guarantee the long-term survival of Africa's elephants, there is a necessity to diminish the demand of ivory in Asia and better the livelihood of people living with elephants. The authors also underlined that corruption and poverty are two variables that influence local poaching rates. The number of elephants has decreased by 62 percent over the last ten years and could be extinct by the end of the next decade. As of 2018, there are still more elephants being killed for ivory than being born.

Elephant in the Okavango Delta

I strongly believe that this recently published article should be taken into serious consideration by government bureaucrats, stakeholders, and general public not just in Botswana but in other parts of Africa. It highlights the correlation between poaching and the issues of poverty and corruption in Africa. Even though this article mentions that poaching of elephants has dropped significantly, it does not mean that the elephants are safe on the long-run. They are still under threat from the ivory demand in Asia and as a result, continue to fall victim to humans for their tusks and other body parts. Botswana's recent decision to lift the ban on elephant poaching and trophy hunting has further put the lives of these animals at risk. I think that even though trophy hunting of elephants in Botswana would guarantee income to local communities, it will not alleviate the human-elephant conflict in the country. The reason is because when trophy hunters go and hunt elephants in the country, they don't know and don't care if the elephant they are after turns out to be a matriarch. In their mindset, all that matters to them is the size of the elephant and the quality of its tusks which they would show off to their families and friends. If suppose an elephant that somehow fell victim to trophy hunting turns out to be a matriarch, there is a good chance that the herd which she was leading would disintegrate and all its members would aimlessly wander about often straying into human habitations bringing them into conflict with people. Furthermore, hunting of solitary bull elephants would hinder the possibility of breeding. This is why I strongly urge that non-lethal and effective measurements should be implemented to ensure that people and elephants coexist with one another peacefully. I also suggest that measurements to mitigate corruption and poverty across Africa should be conducted, since both of these variables influence poaching rates. Lastly, it is highly crucial to reduce the demand of ivory in Asia. All three of these steps combined can guarantee the long-term survival of Africa's elephants.

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