Rewilding, artificial insemination, population study; Rs 56 crore approved for next phase of Bustard conservation

  • July 2, 2024
  • Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
  • Category: DPN Topics
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Rewilding, artificial insemination, population study; Rs 56 crore approved for next phase of Bustard conservation

Sub: Environment

Sec: Species in news 

Context:

  • The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) approved Rs 56 crore for the next phase of Great Indian Bustard (GIB) and Lesser Florican conservation.

Details:

  • The plan includes habitat development, in-situ conservation, completion of the conservation breeding centre, and releasing captive-bred birds.
  • In June, the National CAMPA executive committee recommended the Wildlife Institute of India’s (WII) proposal for scaling up the project from 2024-2033, including two components.

Conservation programme:

  • The conservation programme has been running since 2016 for the long-term recovery of GIB and Lesser Florican, with around 140 GIBs and fewer than 1,000 Lesser Floricans currently surviving in the wild.
    • The first component targets the completion of the conservation breeding centre (CBC) in Jaisalmer, development of the Sorsan Lesser Florican facility, and preparatory work for releasing captive-bred birds.
    • The second component involves in-situ conservation of GIBs in other states such as Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh, with a budget of Rs 43.68 crore.
  • WII will also undertake GIB population estimation and rangewide population estimation of the Lesser Florican between 2024-2026.
  • Until rewilding begins in 2027, WII plans to collect two to four GIB eggs and six to ten Lesser Florican eggs each year.
  • Release sites for captive-bred Bustards will be identified, with training and soft release enclosures developed.
  • The 2024-2029 phase will target artificial insemination techniques as a backup to captive-breeding conservation, with collaboration from the Abu Dhabi-based International Fund for Houbara Conservation.
  • Artificial insemination will aid genetic management and diversity, potentially using cryopreservation to manage the population from a genetic perspective.
  • GIB and Lesser Florican populations have declined due to hunting, habitat loss, egg predation, and overhead power lines.
  • Conservation efforts began with the National Bustard Recovery Plan in 2013 and the Bustard Recovery Project in 2016, including a 2018 tripartite agreement between MoEFCC, Rajasthan forest department, and WII.
  • Two GIB conservation breeding centres and one Lesser Florican centre are operational in Rajasthan’s Sam, Ramdevra, and Sorsan.

About Great Indian Bustard (GIB):

  • The Great Indian Bustard is one of the heaviest flying birds in the world.
  • Scientific Name: Ardeotis nigriceps
  • Habitat: Dry grasslands and scrublands on the Indian subcontinent; its largest populations are found in the Indian state of Rajasthan.
  • Distribution:
    • India, effectively the only home of the bustards, now harbours less than 150 individuals in five States.
    • Today, its population is confined mostly to Rajasthan and Gujarat. Small population also occur in Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
    • It is the State bird of Rajasthan.
  • Protection Status
    • Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List
    • In Appendix I of CITES,
    • In Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

About Lesser Florican (Sypheotides indicus):

  • Also known as the likh or kharmore is the smallest in the bustard family.
  • Habitat: The bird is endemic to the Indian Subcontinent, where it is found in tall grasslands.
    • In India, the bird is observed in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and some other regions during the monsoon season when it breeds and later disappears with its chicks to unknown places.
  • Characteristics: The male has a contrasting black and white breeding plumage and distinctive elongated head feathers that extend behind the neck.
    • The only similar species is the Bengal florican (Houbarobsis bengalensis) which is larger and lacks the white throat, collar and elongated plumes.
  • Threats: The bird is threatened both by hunting and habitat degradation.
    • Further, the species is highly endangered and has been officially hunted to extinction in some parts of its range, such as Pakistan.
  • Conservation status:
    • IUCN Status: Critically Endangered
    • Wildlife Protection Act,1972: Schedule I
    • CITES: Appendix II


Source: IE

artificial insemination Environment population study; Rs 56 crore approved for next phase of Bustard conservation Rewilding