HUBBALLI: In a frantic effort to conserve the last surviving Great Indian Bustard (GIB) birds in Karnataka, the forest department has decided to order for a survey to estimate the population of the bird.
The GIBs are fast running into extinction with less than 200 birds remaining in six states of India including Karnataka. A small population of GIBs are surviving in grasslands between Ballari and Raichur districts.
The forest department has now ordered a fresh survey to check traces of GIBs in districts which have grasslands. The GIBs are grassland dependent birds and require open ponds for their flight, take off and survival. These grounds nesting birds may soon go away from the maps as their habitat is under grave threat.
The orders come two days after the Wildlife PCCF Sanjay Mohan and a team of ornithologists from the Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON) took a field visit in grassland habitats of Ballari district. It's said that SACON will provide technical support and the survey will be conducted by the forest department staff.
“We have long ignored the grassland ecosystem and most of the focus was based on flagship species such as tigers and elephants. Its time we also concentrate on species such as wolves, jackals and foxes,” said Wildlife PCCF Sanjay Mohan.
“The conservation of GIB is the utmost important thing for the department as a small population of these birds are living in grasslands of Karnataka. To estimate their population a survey has been ordered. First, we shall get the numbers and condition of its habitat, later based on the result a protection plan will be put in place,” the officer said.
Shiraguppa in Ballari and Raichur are the two places where GIBs are believed to be existing in small groups. A few years ago, it was estimated that Karnataka may have about 28 GIBs. But later with no proper estimation or survey, their numbers remained a mystery. Recently there has been news about their sighting in Chitradurga grasslands, but there has been so far no photographic evidence.
However, the project taken up by the forest department has already been criticised as none of the local conservationists from North Karnataka who have been studying and following the GIBs are not included on the board or they have any role in the project.
A senior wildlife conservationist from Ballari said that the local bird experts have been responsible for the conservation of GIBs in Ballari district for over a decade now. “It's not fair that forest department is not included the bird experts who have been working on GIBs,” he said.