At a time when the critically endangered Great Indian Bustards are on the verge of extinction, there are reasons to be hopeful about a revival of the iconic bird. A new habitat of these rare avian species has been sighted in Rajasthan even as Madhya Pradesh has started fresh initiatives to revive the vanished population of GIBs. It is all set to relocate a few pairs of this bird from the Desert National Park in Jaisalmer in Rajasthan, as a part of novel experiment.
These IUCN red listed birds will also soon be tracked by satellite by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) to understand their movement and their preferred habitat. However, sources in WII informed that this radio tracking exercise can commence only after the completion of their mating/ breeding season in October.
This new effort is expected to give a major fillip in saving the dwindling population of the species from hunting and loss of its habitat (dry grasslands), primarily in the States of Gujarat and Rajasthan, besides few other Indian States like Maharashtra, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh.
However, what has brought cheer to conservationists is the rare sighting of a flock 24 birds in the grasslands of Salkha area, 45 km from Jaisalmer district. Of them, 21 were males and three females. The area is in the vicinity of the Desert National Park, the traditional habitat of GIB’s in the State.
This has been confirmed by chief conservator of forest (wildlife) Dr GS Bhardwaj. This area is a new habitat area for these birds, he said. The concerned stretch of grassland is part of sacred groves or ‘oraans’ of the local communities spread over 40 sq km. As a result there is little human disturbance with low grazing pressure and minimum encroachment for human settlement, thereby providing an ideal location for the GIBs, he added.
Standing Committee member of National Board for Wildlife (NBWl) and noted ornithologist Asad Rahmani pointed out that immediate efforts have to be made to conserve this new-found habitat. He said this is the mating and breeding season of the birds and priority must be given to ensure their eggs are safe. In some instances, tourists carry the egg from a place to another, thereby disturbing the process of hatching that requires the warmth of the mother bird.
In a yet another initiative, Madhya Pradesh is planning to shift a few pairs of these birds from Desert National Park, in Rajasthan. However, according to sources the project is still in its preparatory stages and breeding site is yet to be finalised.
The erstwhile habitats of this bird Ghatigaon (Gwalior) and Karera (Shivpuri) sanctuaries in Madhya are awaiting de-notification. However, an alternative site has been identified in Damoh district in the wake of the precondition of the apex court to declare some new sanctuaries, in exchange, informed the sources.
Experts, however, warn that it may already be too late to save the bird, which has disappeared from over 90 per cent of its former territory. There are now less than 200 individuals now left in the country.