The recent spotting of Great Indian Bustards (GIBs) deep within Pakistan’s Cholistan desert has sparked theorizing that the endangered avians may have journeyed across international borders from India’s Desert National Park (DNP). These intriguing turn of events highlights both the biodiversity of India’s DNP and the need for further conservation efforts for species like the GIBs.
About the Great Indian Bustard
The Great Indian Bustard, designated as the state bird of Rajasthan, is regarded as India’s most severely endangered bird. It is often thought of as the figurehead of grassland species, mirroring the overall health of grassland ecosystems.
The vast majority of GIB populations inhabit Rajasthan and Gujarat, with smaller clusters detected in Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh. This bird species faces numerous threats including collisions or electrocution with power lines, hunting (which continues in Pakistan), and habitat destruction or alteration due to extensive agricultural expansion.
Protection Status of the Great Indian Bustard
Multiple global and national bodies have identified the GIB as being in severe danger. The International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List categorizes it as Critically Endangered, while the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora places it in Appendix 1. Similarly, the Convention on Migratory Species includes the bird in their Appendix I, and India’s Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972 lists it in Schedule I.
Conservation Efforts for the Great Indian Bustard
Several programmes are in place to protect the GIB. Notably, the Species Recovery Programme, implemented under the auspices of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC), aims to help endangered species rebound. The National Bustard Recovery Plans, implemented by conservation agencies, also exist for this purpose.
In June 2019, a collaboration between the MoEF&CC, the Rajasthan government, and the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) established a conservation breeding facility in Desert National Park. The programme aims to increase GIB populations by breeding them in captivity and then releasing the chicks into the wild.
The Rajasthan government has also launched Project Great Indian Bustard with the goal of constructing breeding enclosures for GIBs and developing infrastructure to lessen human pressure on their habitats. Lastly, a Task Force has been assembled to suggest eco-friendly ways to mitigate the damaging impacts of power transmission lines and other infrastructures on wildlife species such as the GIB.
Key Points About Desert National Park
Located along the western border of India within Jaisalmer and Barmer Districts of Rajasthan, the Desert National Park is a site teeming with local flora and fauna. In addition to the GIB, it houses the Rajasthan state animal, the Chinkara, and is home to the state tree (Khejri) and state flower (Rohida).
Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1980 and a National Park in 1992, it plays an important part in India’s rich biodiversity. Importantly, it serves as one of the natural habitats for the endangered Great Indian Bustard. Recent sightings of GIBs in Pakistan, believed to have migrated from the DNP, serve as a reminder of the interconnectedness of these ecosystems and our duty to protect such treasured wildlife.