Rewilding great Indian bustards: The project and the challenges ahead

India has released two captive-bred male Great Indian Bustards (GIBs) into the wild for the first time at Desert National Park, Rajasthan.The release is part of Project GIB, implemented by the Centre, WII, Rajasthan and Gujarat governments.

About Great Indian Bustard

• A large, ground-dwelling bird of grasslands, savannahs and arid regions.
• Once found across 11 States, it is now largely restricted to Rajasthan.
• Population has fallen from about 1,260–1,400 in the 1970s to around 150 today.

Major Causes of Decline

• Hunting and egg poaching.
• Conversion of grasslands for agriculture, mining and infrastructure.
• Fatal collisions with overhead power lines, due to poor frontal vision and heavy body structure.

Project GIB

• Conservation efforts began in 2012–13 and captive breeding expanded from 2019.
• Wild eggs were collected and incubated at Sam and Ramdevra centres in Rajasthan.
• Captive breeding has produced a sizeable population, with 2 birds released and 11 earmarked for future release.

What is Rewilding?

• Rewilding means preparing captive-bred birds to survive independently in natural habitats.
• Young birds are acclimatised in soft-release facilities before release.
• Released birds are fitted with tracking transmitters for regular monitoring.

Grassland Conservation Challenge

• GIBs require open, flat and undisturbed grasslands.
• Grasslands are often treated as “wastelands” and converted for plantations, farming or infrastructure.
• Conservation must also consider the livelihoods of pastoral communities.

Supreme Court Safeguards

• Priority habitats of about 14,013 sq km in Rajasthan and 740 sq km in Gujarat have been identified.
• Around 80 km of power lines in Rajasthan are to be undergrounded during 2027–28.
• Dedicated power-line corridors are also planned.

Key Challenges

• Power-line collisions remain the most immediate threat.
• Limestone mining threatens important open habitats.
• Rewilding beyond Rajasthan will require habitat restoration first.
• The very small wild population remains vulnerable to local extinction.

Significance

• Marks India’s first captive-bred GIB release into the wild.
• Tests whether conservation breeding can help rebuild wild populations.
• Highlights the wider need to protect India’s grassland ecosystems.

Rewilding is a major milestone, but long-term recovery depends on safe grasslands, underground power lines and control of mining and habitat conversion.