Why in news
- Union Environment Ministry released two captive-bred male Great Indian Bustards into the wild at Desert National Park in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan.
- The release marks a transition in India's conservation strategy from captive breeding to active rewilding and wild habitat restoration.
Key terms
Rewilding
Process of reintroducing captive-bred or rescued animals into their historical natural habitats.
Indicator Species
An organism whose status provides information on the overall health of an ecosystem.
Conservation Breeding
Breeding threatened species in controlled environments to prevent extinction and preserve genetic diversity.
Desert National Park
Protected area in Jaisalmer and Barmer districts of Rajasthan that holds the last primary wild habitat of the Great Indian Bustard.
What is the Great Indian Bustard Conservation Programme?
- Joint conservation initiative managed by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Rajasthan Forest Department, and Wildlife Institute of India (WII).
- Operates a conservation-breeding facility at Sam in Desert National Park to build a viable captive population of the critically endangered species.
Key Developments in Rewilding
- Shifts focus from building an ex-situ breeding pool toward rewilding captive-born individuals to reinforce natural populations.
- Marks the first release of male bustards to study post-release movement, territory establishment, and survival in arid desert terrain.
Ecological Significance and Threats
- Great Indian Bustard serves as an umbrella species for dry grassland ecosystems, which are threatened by land conversion and linear infrastructure.
- Collisions with high-voltage overhead power lines represent the primary mortality factor, driving Supreme Court directives for power-line diversion and bird diverter installation.
Prelims facts
- Great Indian Bustard is listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List and under Schedule I of WPA 1972.
Mains discussion
- Evaluate the ecological challenges confronting grassland conservation in India with specific reference to the Great Indian Bustard.
Source: PIB
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