"Rewilding of Great Indian Bustards Begins in Rajasthan"
Rewilding
returning captive-bred animals to the wild so they can survive and breed without human help
Soft release facility
an enclosure where captive-bred animals adjust to natural conditions before full release
The great Indian bustard (GIB) is a large bird that lives on the ground. It once lived in open grasslands and deserts across 11 Indian states, from Haryana to Tamil Nadu. Hunting, egg poaching, and the loss of grasslands to farming and mining caused the species to decline sharply. More recently, collisions with power lines built for renewable energy projects have added to the threat. The bird has poor frontal vision and a heavy body. It struggles to spot wires in time to avoid them. Great Indian Bustard population has collapsed from over 1,200 in the 1970s to about 150 today, with most survivors in Rajasthan and small, scattered groups at risk of local extinction in other states.
To reverse this decline, the Centre and the Rajasthan government started a bustard and lesser florican recovery project in 2012-13. Later they expanded it with funding for a conservation breeding programme. This evolved into Project GIB. It is run jointly by the Environment Ministry, the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), and the governments of Rajasthan and Gujarat. This follows a model similar to earlier single-species recovery efforts such as Project Tiger, launched in 1973. Project Tiger paired habitat protection with active population monitoring. Since 2019, wild eggs have been collected from Desert National Park and hatched at breeding centres in Sam and Ramdevra. Desert National Park spans Jaisalmer and Barmer districts and uniquely has human habitation inside it, unlike most protected areas in India. Pastoral communities and their livestock are themselves part of the conservation challenge.
The legal basis for stronger protection came from a Supreme Court case on bustard conservation. The Court accepted an expert panel's recommendations. It ordered the demarcation of 'priority areas' for the species: about 14,013 sq km in Rajasthan and 740 sq km in Gujarat. It also ordered that stretches of overhead power lines in these areas be buried underground. This order set the legal and administrative framework within which the current rewilding effort is now taking place.
Rewilding means returning captive-bred animals to their natural habitat. They can then survive and breed without human support. For the GIB, this is the next step after years of captive breeding. This has produced 98 birds across the two centres. A soft release facility inside Desert National Park, combined with a rewilding aviary, lets young birds adapt to natural conditions gradually. Instead of using hand-reared adults, who are used to humans, scientists chose chicks aged three to four months. They could grow up without 'human imprinting' (meaning: when an animal raised near people loses its natural wariness and wild behaviour).
The released birds carry satellite transmitters. These send location and movement data three times a day. This lets researchers track survival, feeding patterns, and any threats the birds face in real time. …
With reference to India's 'Desert National Park', which of the following statements are correct?
1.It is spread over two districts.
2.There is no human habitation inside the Park.
3.It is one of the natural habitats of 'Great Indian Bustard'.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
With reference to the Supreme Court's orders on Great Indian Bustard conservation, consider the following statements:
1.The Court demarcated priority habitat areas for the species in Rajasthan and Gujarat.
2.The Court ordered that overhead power lines within these priority areas be buried underground.
3.The Court imposed a blanket ban on mining activity within Great Indian Bustard habitats.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Consider the following statements regarding the rewilding of the Great Indian Bustard under Project GIB:
1.The programme is implemented jointly by the Union Environment Ministry, the Wildlife Institute of India, and the Rajasthan and Gujarat governments.
2.Hand-reared adult birds, already used to humans, were chosen for release to ensure their survival.
3.The released birds are fitted with satellite transmitters to track their movement.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Consider the following statements about the Great Indian Bustard:
1.It is listed under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
2.It is classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List.
3.Rajasthan holds the majority of the global wild population of the species.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
Consider the following statements regarding grassland ecosystems in India:
1.Grasslands are classified as protected forest areas under the Indian Forest Act, 1927.
2.Afforestation drives in grassland habitats have at times damaged the habitat of species like the Great Indian Bustard.
3.Grasslands are vulnerable to conversion into croplands and mining leases due to weak legal protection.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Match List-I (Conservation Programme) with List-II (Year of Launch) and select the correct answer using the code given below:
List-I:
A.Project Tiger,
B.Project Elephant,
C.Bustard and Lesser Florican Recovery Project
List-II:
1.1992,
2.1973,
3.2012-13
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