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| 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.
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| 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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