Project Great Indian Bustard (GIB) Adds Three New Chicks to Captive Breeding Programme

Key facts

• The conservation breeding programme for the Great Indian Bustard (GIB) has hatched 26 chicks in its fourth year, comprising 18 through artificial insemination, 4 through natural breeding, and 4 from wild-collected eggs.
• The total captive stock of GIB has grown to 94 birds, with the latest three chicks emerging from one wild-collected egg and two captive-laid eggs.
• The GIB (Ardeotis nigriceps) is a critically endangered species found in the arid and semi-arid grasslands of central and western India.
• Major threats to the species include hunting, habitat loss, and the installation of electric power lines for solar parks in Gujarat and Rajasthan.
• In 2024, the National Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) approved ₹77.05 crore over five years for the conservation of the GIB and the lesser florican.