Great Indian Bustard

Great Indian Bustard

In a historic first, a Great Indian Bustard (GIB) chick born through artificial insemination at Sudasari Great Indian Bustard Breeding Centre in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan.

  • Conservation Milestone: This achievement is seen as a critical step for GIB conservation, with fewer than 150 of these endangered birds remaining, mostly in Rajasthan.

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Artificial Insemination

  • Artificial insemination (AI) is a medical procedure used to help with reproduction by deliberately introducing sperm into a female’s reproductive system (usually the uterus) without natural mating. 
  • It is commonly used in both humans and animals for various reasons, including overcoming fertility issues, selective breeding, and conservation of endangered species.

Process of Artificial Insemination Works

  • Sperm Collection: Sperm is collected from a male donor, often through a medical procedure.
  • Preparation: The collected sperm may be processed to increase its chances of fertilising an egg, such as separating higher-quality sperm.
  • Insertion: The prepared sperm is inserted into the female’s reproductive tract using a syringe or a specialized catheter.

About Great Indian Bustard

  • Habitat : It is a grassland species, endemic to the Indian subcontinent.Confined mostly to Rajasthan and Gujarat
    • Small populations occur in Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh.
  • Key indicator species of the grassland habitat: It is a key indicator species of the health of grassland habitats.
  • Distinguished by its black crown on the forehead.
    • Great Indian BustardMales have larger black crowns.
  • Diet: Omnivorous and feeds on grass seeds, insects like grasshoppers and beetles; Occasionally they even eat small rodents and reptiles. 
  • Conservation Status
    • IUCN status : Critically Endangered
    • Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 : Schedule I 
    • CITES: Appendix 1

Challenges in Conservation Of Great Indian Bustard

  • Population Decline Factors
    • The GIB’s narrow frontal vision and large size make them particularly vulnerable to power line collisions.
    • GIB Nesting: The GIB lays a single egg annually, which is large and laid on the ground, making it vulnerable to predators
      • The mother raises the chick for two years before laying another egg, meaning low natural reproduction rates.
  • Power Line Challenge: A 2020 WII study in Desert National Park reported that power lines kill around 84,000 birds annually, including GIB. 
    • Great Indian BustardAlthough the Supreme Court ordered power lines in GIB re.

Conservation Efforts for Great Indian Bustard: National Bustard Recovery Plan: Plan to recover the species which was first started in 2013

  • Bustard Recovery Project:  Launched in 2016, planned by the Rajasthan government as well as the Environment Ministry.
    • The Compensatory Afforestation Fund funded this project which consists of money collected for afforestation in lieu of diversion of forests for non-forest uses.

Conservation Breeding Process

  • Conservation breeding began by collecting eggs from the wild
  • Eggs are incubated artificially at the centres and hand-reared in the breeding centre itself. 
  • Later, chicks that attained adulthood at the centre have mated and given birth to the next generation
  • Second generation of these birds are released into the wild.

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Great Indian Bustard

  • Tripartite agreement: In 2018, a tripartite agreement was signed between the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Rajasthan Forest Department and Wildlife Institute of India (WII).
    • They are working together on a GIB captive breeding program. 
    • The plan is to release captively bred birds into the wild in the future.
  • Bustard Recovery Project involved the following conservation measures: 
    • Opening long-term conservation breeding centres (CBC) in Ramdevra and Sorsan
    • Implementing field research projects such as telemetry-based bird tracking and population surveys
    • habitats be buried, this has faced practical challenges.
  • Recovery program: Prepared by Wildlife Institute of India (WII), an autonomous body under the Union Environment Ministry.
    • Rewilding Bustards bred in ex-situ conservation centres.
    • Developing artificial insemination techniques

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