First captive-bred Great Indian Bustards set for pilot release into the wild in Jaisalmer
Key facts
- Two captive-bred male Great Indian Bustard chicks are set for a pilot wild release on 4 October 2026.
- They will go into enclosures in Desert National Park, Jaisalmer, fitted with radio tags.
- The release starts the 'rewilding' phase of Project GIB, running since 2013.
- At least 98 bustards have been bred at WII's centres in Sam and Ramdevra since 2019.
Why it matters
[First] This is the first time captive-bred Great Indian Bustards will enter the wild. The bird is critically endangered, with about 140 left in the wild. Collisions with power lines from renewable projects are a major threat. The Supreme Court has ordered such lines outside the park buried by December 2027.
Asked before: UPSC Prelims 2020 asked a statement question on India's Desert National Park.
The Indian Express ↗Read the explainer: Desert National Park: Fossils and the Great Indian Bustard →
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