Gujarat ups measures to save bustards going the Dodo way - Daily News & Analysis

With an aim to save the Great Indian Bustard (GIB), which is facing an existential crisis, state's forest department is mulling to start a captive breeding programme. Experts believe that less than 200 of the species survive in the country, with the highest concentration being in Rajasthan followed by Gujarat. Sensitised by representations made by NGOs in the matter, chief wildlife warden CN Pandey, said: "We are mulling on the option of starting a captive breeding programme for the bustard on the lines of the vulture." It should be noted that captive breeding of the birds was one of the suggestions made by Conservation India, a non-profit working for wildlife conservation in the country. The other suggestions include launching a project bustard at the national level and a GIB task force at the national and state level. According to the forest department's last census in 2007, the state is home to 48 GIBs, all of which are concentrated in Naliya in Kutch. Currently GIBs remain protected in only 2 sq km of land in Lala-Parijan Sanctuary. However, with the birds continuing to roam outside the sanctuary area they continue to face threats from both humans and animals. Earlier, Prerna Singh Bindra, a member of the National Board for Wildlife had also written to chief minister Narendra Modi urging to constitute an action plan for the state to save the bird. An official of the forest department, who has closely studied the bird, said that in India captive breeding of the bird was attempted in Andhra Pradesh once. "As far as I know it has resulted in only one chick so far. But captive breeding can be a good way of arresting their dwindling numbers," said the official. He said the captive breeding programme if implemented can be a boon. He said that ornithologists Dharma Kumar Singhji had in once made a mention that the eggs of the birds can also be taken away to be hatched somewhere else and the chicks born could later be introduced into the wild. "He believed that if an egg is taken away it would prompt the bird to give another egg as they usually give one egg in a breeding season," said the official. via Science - Google News http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNEi4hR0TfxsLMrqHZW2ePT-HB0fvQ&url=http://www.dnaindia.com/ahmedabad/1849286/report-gujarat-ups-measures-to-save-bustards-going-the-dodo-way

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