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

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