Rajasthan: After Jaisalmer, Ajmer might be new home for Great Indian Bustards
Barmer: Ajmer may become the second home of the critically endangered Great Indian Bustards (GIBs), following safety concerns along the India-Pakistan border amid heightened tensions between the two countries.Until now, the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) operated a captive breeding centre in Jaisalmer, located about 10 km from the Pakistan border, the only habitat for GIBs.
A day after drone sightings were reported on May 8 in Jaisalmer, apart from Ramgarh, Pokhran, and Barmer in Rajasthan, the forest department relocated nine newly hatched GIB chicks to the conservation centre at Arwar in Ajmer, senior WII scientist Sutirtha Dutta said.
'As the Ramdevra Centre is located near the border, and in light of the tense situation and massive drone activity, the relocation was necessary to ensure the birds' safety and protection. We are exploring the option of whether we can keep them at the Arwar Centre permanently or return them to Jaisalmer once the situation stabilises,' Dutta said.
Arwar was chosen as it already hosts the Lesser Florican Conservation Centre and is equipped with the necessary infrastructure for handling such sensitive conservation operations. Developed jointly by the WII and the forest department, the centre aims to reverse the drastic decline of the country's most endangered grassland bird, Lesser Florican (Sypheotides indicus), known for its dramatic courtship leaps during the monsoon.
Also Read: Great Indian Bustard conservation milestones: 3 born in a day, 4 in a week
The GIB chicks, aged between five to 20 days, were transported in specially designed soft-suspension vehicles to ensure their comfort and safety. 'The transportation was conducted under the supervision of expert handlers, with a dedicated team of trainers accompanying the chicks to ensure their well-being throughout the journey,' Dutta said.
'Discussions on the possibility of keeping the GIB chicks there and provide a second home for them are going on. A final decision will be taken in the coming days,' deputy conservator of forest at the Desert National Park (DNP) in Jaisalmer Brijmohan Gupta.
Also Read: Boost for fight to save Great Indian Bustard as chick born through IVF
The population of the critically endangered GIB under India's national breeding programme has doubled from its founding number in just two years. On May 9, 2025, the programme marked the hatching of its 18th chick of the year, with nine of them born through artificial insemination—a groundbreaking achievement in avian conservation. The remaining chicks were born naturally under controlled, captive conditions, officials said.
Since the beginning in June 2019, the Bustard Recovery Programme has successfully reared 62 birds in total from wild-collected eggs and through captive breeding efforts, officials added.
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