Latest news with #GIBs
Hindustan Times
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Away from hostile borders, bustards find home in Ajmer
On May 9, two days after Pakistan launched drones and missiles targeting various locations in India — most were brought down by India's air defence system — India moved some precious cargo from Jaisalmer, around 10km from the Pakistan border, to Ajmer, roughly 500km to the east. The live cargo, nine Great Indian Bustard (Ardeotis nigriceps) chicks, were moved in special vehicles to a centre that may now be the second captive breeding centre of a species that has been reduced to a few hundred individuals. Captive breeding — 25 chicks were hatched from captive breeding efforts in the past year alone — has emerged as a possible way to combat (or at least defer), the imminent extinction of the species, and in the wake of the drone attacks, the Rajasthan forest department decided to provide a second home to captive bred GIBs in Ajmer, moving some from the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) run captive bred centre in Jaisalmer. Senior scientist at the Wildlife Institute, Sutirtha Dutta, said the GIB chicks were shifted to Ajmer on May 8 for 'security' reasons. '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.' Dutta added that nine chicks were shifted on May 8, and there were plans to relocate the remaining ones in the following weeks. However, the plan has been postponed with the two sides agreeing to a ceasefire. On the morning of May 7, India struck at nine terror hubs in Pakistan, a response to the killing of 26 Indians in a targeted attack by terrorists in Pahalgam, Kashmir, on April 22. Pakistan responded by launching waves of drones and missiles at civilian and military targets in India. Indian forces repulsed these attacks and struck back, inflicting major damage on Pakistani military installations including air bases. On May 10, Pakistan's Director General of Military Operations called up his Indian counterpart requesting a cessation of hostilities. According to Dutta, the chicks, aged between five and 20 days were transported in specially designed soft-suspension vehicles to ensure their comfort and safety. He added that the transportation was conducted under the supervision of expert handlers, with a dedicated team of trainers accompanying the chicks to ensure their well-being. He added that bringing the chicks back is not only challenging but also unsafe. 'We are exploring the option of whether we can keep them there permanently or return them once the situation stabilizes,' he said. Brijmohan Gupta, deputy conservator of forest at the desert national park (DNP) in Jaisalmer, said, 'They are discussing the possibility of keeping the chicks there to provide a second home for them.' He added a final decision will be taken in a few days. Dutta said the choice of Arwar village in Ajmer district was strategic as it has already hosts the Lesser Florican Conservation Centre and is equipped with the necessary infrastructure for handling sensitive conservation operations. Arwar village hosts India's first Lesser Florican Conservation Breeding Centre, a vital initiative aimed at saving one of the country's most endangered grassland birds. Developed jointly by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and the Rajasthan forest department, the centre aims to reverse the drastic decline of the Lesser Florican (Sypheotides indicus), known for its dramatic courtship leaps during the monsoon. In 2023, the centre achieved the successful hatching of 11 Lesser Florican chicks—a landmark moment in the species' recovery. This was the first time such a number of hatchings occurred in captivity in India, offering hope for increasing the bird's critically low population, currently estimated to be under 250 in the wild. The population of the critically endangered Great Indian Bustard under India's national breeding programme has doubled from its founding number in just two years. On May 9, the programme marked the hatching of its 18th chick of the year, with nine of them born through artificial insemination—a ground breaking achievement in avian conservation. The remaining chicks were born naturally under controlled, captive conditions, officials said. Since it began in June 2019, the Bustard Recovery Programme has successfully reared 62 birds in total from wild-collected eggs and through captive breeding efforts. Currently, the Ramdevra Breeding Centre in Jaisalmer houses 29 birds, the Sam Centre holds 24, and nine birds have recently been transferred to Arwar, Ajmer.
Hindustan Times
14-05-2025
- General
- Hindustan Times
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 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.
Time of India
05-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
Three GIB chicks relocated from Sudasari to Ramdevra
Jaisalmer: In April, three chicks of the Schedule I wildlife species, the Great Indian Bustard (GIB), born in the Sudasari area of Jaisalmer's Desert National Park, were relocated to the newly constructed GIB Breeding and Conservation Centre in the Ramdevra area of the district. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Similar to the special preparations made for relocating tigers from Ranthambore to Sariska, preparations were made for transferring the GIB chicks. Surthito Dutta, coordinator of the breeding centre located in Sudasari, Jaisalmer, stated in an exclusive interview that during this year's breeding season, a total of 13 chicks were born in the Wildlife Institute of India's breeding centre in Sudasari and two in Ramdevra. In light of the growing population of GIBs, a joint team from WII and the forest department transferred three chicks to the new breeding centre in Ramdevra. These chicks were born in April, and the transfer was successfully completed. Since it is easier to relocate younger chicks, they were shifted to Ramdevra, and more chicks will be moved in the coming days. A special plan was devised, and necessary preparations were initiated to ensure the mission's success.
