India has been constantly making efforts to save endangered animals and birds. Years of effort do pay off when there is an increase in numbers. And yes, once again, it has been proved that India’s conservation efforts are working, as after months of effort, a unique mission to save the Great Indian Bustard (GIB) has finally shown success. Read to know more!
The Great Indian Bustard Conservation Mission Shows Success
Taking to social media, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav shared a big update, after years of effort, a Great Indian Bustard chick has finally been spotted in Gujarat, almost a decade later. Sounds like a small win, but it’s actually a huge moment for conservation.
What made this possible? A smart and unique method called the “jumpstart approach.” In simple terms, different teams came together and made it work. The Ministry, along with the Forest Departments of Rajasthan and Gujarat and the Wildlife Institute of India, coordinated closely to pull this off.
If we rewind a bit, this journey started way back in 2011 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi first imagined Project GIB. The idea was simple, protect the Great Indian Bustard in its natural habitat, including Gujarat. The project officially kicked off in 2016, and since then, teams have been consistently working on it.
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How Much Has The Number Of GIBs Grown?
Conservation breeding centres in Sam and Ramdevra, Rajasthan, have now increased the number of GIBs to 73. And guess what? This season alone added five new chicks—definitely a win!
Meanwhile, in Kutch, officials were closely tracking a female GIB tagged in August 2025. She had earlier laid an infertile egg because there were no male birds left in the region. And due to that, natural breeding just wasn’t possible.
But this is where things get interesting. Teams stepped in with a smart plan. They carried out a major inter-state mission and transported a fertile egg from Rajasthan to Gujarat. The journey took over 19 hours by road, and the egg stayed safe in a handheld portable incubator the entire time.
On March 22, they carefully placed this egg into the female’s nest in Kutch. And the best part? She accepted it and continued incubating it like her own. Just a few days later, on March 26, the egg hatched successfully. Field teams even spotted the female taking care of the chick like a true mother.
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Cover Image Courtesy: X/@byadavbjp
FAQs
Conservation efforts of which endangered bird showed improvement?
The conservation efforts for the Great Indian Bustard showed improvement in Gujarat.
How much is the population of the Great Indian Bustard has increased?
The number of the Great Indian Bustard has increased to 73.
After how many years was the Great Indian Bustard spotted in Gujarat?
After 10 years, the Great Indian Bustard were spotted in Gujarat.