JAIPUR: A six-month-old male Great Indian Bustard (GIB) was killed by a fox just four days after being released into the wild at Desert National Park in Rajasthan’s Jaisalmer district on October 14.
The bird was part of a government rewilding programme under which 11 captive-bred Great Indian Bustards were to be released into the wild.
After this incident, the release of seven more captive-bred GIBs into the wild has been put on hold. The killing of the six-month-old GIB chick has also prompted a review of safety measures and protocols under the pilot rewilding programme.
The chick was among two male birds released on October 14. It was killed near a natural waterhole in the Sam area justy four days after entering the wild. According to forest officials, a fox hiding in bushes attacked the GIB chick while it was drinking water at a pond on Sunday. Scientists and forest personnel monitoring its movements from the control room at the GIB breeding centre in Sam were alerted through its satellite tracking device.
Besides being the State Bird of Rajasthan, the Great Indian Bustard has received legal protection under Schedule I of India's Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, and Appendix I of the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS).
Scientists from the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and the Rajasthan Forest Department are now reviewing release protocols and potential risks. Officials said the remaining seven birds would stay in captivity until the assessment is completed.
A field team sent to the location found the bird’s remains and scattered feathers. The fox had fled by the time the team arrived. Officials recovered the tracking device and collected blood samples from the site for laboratory testing.
WII director Govind Sagar Bhardwaj described predation as a natural occurrence in the wild and said the presence of foxes in the habitat was expected.
“Field teams are continuously monitoring. This incident will not weaken the morale of the Great Indian Bustard conservation campaign; rather, the mission will be carried forward with greater strength,” he said.
The pilot programme aims to help revive the Great Indian Bustard population by introducing captive-bred birds into their natural habitat. Eleven birds, approximately six months old, were identified for release in its first phase.
Union environment minister Bhupendra Yadav launched the programme on October 4 with the release of two satellite-tagged male birds at the Sudasari release site in Jaisalmer. Two more males were released on October 14, bringing the total to four before the fatal attack.
Preparations for rewilding included training captive-bred birds to survive independently. At the Ramdevra breeding centre in Jaisalmer, 10 birds underwent three months of training in a rewilding tunnel built at a cost of Rs 9.25 crore, where they learned to forage and adapt to conditions outside captivity.
The Great Indian Bustard has been listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List since 2011. It has disappeared from 90% of its former range, with habitat loss and hunting contributing to its decline.
