Captive-bred Great Indian Bustard chicks to be released into the wild for the first time

For the first time, captive-bred Great Indian Bustard (GIB) chicks are to be released into the wild at Desert National Park, Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. The GIB (Ardeotis nigriceps) is Critically Endangered on the IUCN list and protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. Project GIB, started in 2013, has bred at least 98 birds at centres in Sam and Ramdevra, Jaisalmer. The wild population is only 120–150, about 130 ± 20 of them in Rajasthan. Habitat loss, poaching and power-line collisions are key threats, and the bird breeds slowly, laying eggs once every 1–2 years.