Economy
India Starts Releasing Captive-Bred Great Indian Bustards Into Rajasthan Wild
India has begun reintroducing captive-bred Great Indian Bustards into Rajasthan’s Desert National Park after a decade of conservation work.
What happened
The Union environment minister and Rajasthan’s chief minister launched the rewilding process at Desert National Park, with two captive-bred birds scheduled for release from a soft-release facility. The conservation programme currently holds 97 birds at facilities in Sam and Ramdevra; 11 have been identified for release. A ₹9.25 crore rewilding aviary has been built at Ramdevra.
Why it matters
The programme moves beyond captive breeding toward restoring the critically endangered species in its natural habitat, with stated ecological benefits and potential ecotourism gains for local communities.
Source: Press Information Bureau (India)