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India's First Great Indian Bustard Born by Artificial Insemination

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Rithani

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5 min read

01 Nov, 2024

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In a landmark achievement for wildlife conservation, a Great Indian Bustard (GIB) chick was recently born via artificial insemination at the National GIB Conservation Breeding Centre in Sudasari, Jaisalmer.


This first successful birth of its kind in India marks a critical step toward saving the endangered bird, with fewer than 150 individuals remaining in the country.


The centre, which collects GIB eggs from the Rajasthan desert for secure hatching and rearing, aims to establish a breeding population that can eventually thrive in the wild.


Image Source: Pixabay


Young birds are gradually acclimated to their natural surroundings at a facility in Ramdeora near Pokhran before release.


This year, a male named ‘Suda’ was paired with a wooden model of a female GIB to stimulate natural behaviors.


His semen was then collected and used to inseminate a five-year-old female named ‘Toni,’ who successfully laid the egg that hatched on October 16.


The breeding program, a collaborative effort involving the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), the International Fund for Houbara Conservation in Abu Dhabi, and Rajasthan's forest department, has been instrumental in developing and training conservation methods, including artificial insemination.


Image Source: Pixabay


However, habitat threats—such as power cables and feral dogs—continue to endanger released birds.


While the Supreme Court ordered undergrounding of power cables in GIB habitats in 2021, challenges with cost and technical feasibility have led to calls for a more targeted approach, focusing on burying cables along the GIB’s main flying paths.


Amid ongoing conservation efforts, the success of artificial insemination marks a hopeful milestone for the Great Indian Bustard.


Providing safe habitats outside breeding centers remains a complex challenge in the bird’s long-term recovery.


ALSO READ | Protecting Winged Visitors: Tamil Nadu Villages Go Silent For Diwali

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