2 more Great Indian Bustard chicks born in Jaisalmer breeding centres, total count reaches 86

Jaisalmer: The conservation campaign for the critically endangered Great Indian Bustard (Godawan), Rajasthan’s state bird and a Schedule I protected species, has achieved another major milestone. Two more Great Indian Bustard (GIB) chicks have been born at the Ramdevra and Sudasari breeding centres in Jaisalmer district, taking the total number of birds at the two breeding facilities to 86.

The two chicks were born through Artificial Insemination (AI) technology — one at the Ramdevra Breeding Centre on May 10 and the other at the Sudasari Breeding Centre on May 11. With these latest births, a total of 26 GIB chicks have now been produced using AI techniques.

At present, the Ramdevra Breeding Centre houses 61 Great Indian Bustards, while the Sam/Sudasari centre has 25 birds. Wildlife experts believe the number is expected to rise significantly in the coming years as the breeding programme continues to show positive results.

The long-term goal of the conservation programme is to safely rear the birds in controlled breeding centres and eventually prepare them for release into the wild. Before release, the birds will undergo training in specially developed facilities, including a massive tunnel structure built at Ramdevra where young chicks will soon be kept from an early stage to prepare them for natural habitat conditions.

According to the latest census conducted by the Wildlife Institute of India, around 128 Great Indian Bustards currently remain in the wild. However, concern remains over the slow growth of the wild population. While breeding centres are witnessing steady increases, only two chicks have reportedly been observed in natural habitats this year.

Officials said that 18 GIB chicks have been born at the breeding centres so far this year. Of these, 13 were born through AI technology, four through natural breeding, and one from an egg safely collected from the wild.

Meanwhile, the recent Waterhole Method survey conducted during Vaishakh Purnima recorded a decline in the wild GIB population compared to previous years. This year, only 41 Great Indian Bustards were recorded during the count.

The figures from recent years indicate fluctuating numbers:

2024 – 63 birds
2025 – 73 birds
2026 – 41 birds

Deputy Conservator of Forests of Desert National Park, BM Gupta, said the conservation mission in the Jaisalmer desert has achieved another important success with the birth of the two new chicks at Ramdevra and Sam breeding centres.

He emphasized that these achievements have largely been made possible through modern scientific techniques such as Artificial Insemination, which has already resulted in the birth of 26 chicks.

Scientists associated with the breeding programme stated that the growing success of captive breeding is generating fresh hope for the future survival of the species. Conservationists believe that if AI-assisted breeding continues to succeed, the population of the critically endangered bird could increase significantly over the next few years.