In a major milestone for the conservation of the critically endangered Great Indian Bustard (GIB), Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav on Sunday released two captive-bred male GIBs into the wild at Sam in the Desert National Park, Jaisalmer, Rajasthan.
Rajasthan Forest and Environment Minister Sanjay Sharma, along with senior officials from the Union and state governments, was present during the release.
The release marks an important transition in India’s GIB conservation programme from establishing a viable conservation-breeding population to rewilding and augmenting the species in its natural habitat. The experience and scientific learnings from the release will be used to progressively refine protocols for subsequent reintroductions.
Nearly a Decade of Conservation Efforts
Yadav described the release as the outcome of nearly a decade of sustained efforts by scientists, researchers and ground staff to help the Great Indian Bustard reclaim the deserts of Rajasthan.
In a post on X, the Environment Minister thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his continued guidance, encouragement and support in enabling the scientific community to work towards the conservation of the GIB and other species.
The release follows years of conservation breeding, scientific research, habitat restoration and threat mitigation aimed at rebuilding the population of the critically endangered bird.
97 GIBs at Conservation-Breeding Facilities
The Bustard Recovery Programme is a collaborative initiative of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Rajasthan Forest Department and the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), with technical collaboration from the International Fund for Houbara Conservation and funding support from National CAMPA.
The programme focuses on conservation breeding, habitat management, threat mitigation, habitat restoration and community engagement.
The GIB conservation facilities at Sam and Ramdevra currently house 97 birds. Of these, 40 originated from wild-laid eggs and 57 were bred in captivity.
As many as 86 birds are being maintained for captive reproduction, while 11 had been earmarked for release into the wild. Of these 11 birds, the two released at Desert National Park on Sunday mark the first step in the planned rewilding process.
The captive-breeding programme produced 24 live chicks in 2025 and 29 in 2026, strengthening the conservation-breeding population.
‘Jumpstart’ Approach Supports Recovery
Scientific interventions have also contributed to the recovery programme, including the novel ‘jumpstart’ approach.
Under this method, captive-laid eggs are placed in wild nests, where they are accepted and incubated by wild females. The approach has resulted in the hatching of six chicks in Rajasthan and two in Gujarat.
Habitat restoration has been pursued alongside captive breeding. The Rajasthan Forest Department has established around 200 square kilometres of fenced grassland enclosures inside the Desert National Park.
Long-term telemetry studies conducted by WII have identified these enclosures as prime breeding habitats for the Great Indian Bustard.
The species’ conservation measures are also being guided by the Supreme Court of India’s judgment, based on recommendations of the Expert Committee constituted for the purpose.
