First Captive-Bred Great Indian Bustards Released into the Wild at Desert National Park
The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) released two male Great Indian Bustards (GIBs) into the wild at Sam, inside the Desert National Park in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, on 4 October 2026.
These birds came from the conservation breeding programme (raising a species in safe, controlled centres so its numbers can grow). This is the first step of putting captive-bred GIBs back into their natural home.
The breeding centres at Sam and Ramdevra (both in Jaisalmer district) now hold 97 birds. Of these, 40 hatched from eggs collected in the wild and 57 were bred in captivity. 86 birds are kept for breeding and 11 are set aside for release.
Captive breeding produced 24 live chicks in 2025 and 29 in 2026. A new "jumpstart" method (placing captive-laid eggs in wild nests so wild mothers raise the chicks) led to six chicks hatching in Rajasthan and two in Gujarat.
About 200 sq km of fenced grassland enclosures have been set up inside Desert National Park. These spots were chosen using telemetry (tracking birds with radio or satellite tags) as the best breeding habitat.
The programme is run with the Rajasthan Forest Department and the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), with technical help from the International Fund for Houbara Conservation and money from National CAMPA (the fund built from compensatory afforestation payments).
Great Indian Bustard (GIB)
The Great Indian Bustard (GIB) is a large, tall bird that lives in open grasslands and dry scrublands of India. It is one of the heaviest flying birds in the world; adult males can weigh up to about 15 kg. Its scientific name is Ardeotis nigriceps, and in Rajasthan it is locally called Godawan. It is the state bird of Rajasthan and is Critically Endangered: only about 150 birds are believed to survive, most of them in the Thar Desert of Rajasthan.
The release of two male captive-bred GIBs at Sam is the first time birds from the conservation breeding programme have been sent back into the wild. It moves the programme from building an insurance population in breeding centres to rebuilding the wild population. How these birds survive will shape the rules for future releases in Rajasthan and other range states.
Desert National Park
Desert National Park is a large protected area in the Thar Desert of western Rajasthan, spread over the Jaisalmer and Barmer districts. It covers about 3,162 sq km, which makes it one of the largest protected areas in India. It protects the desert ecosystem: sand dunes, rocky land, salt lake bottoms and dry grasslands. It is best known as the most important home of the Great Indian Bustard.
Desert National Park was chosen for the first release of captive-bred GIBs because it holds the largest surviving wild population and has about 200 sq km of fenced, predator-safe grassland enclosures. Its grasslands are where the released birds must now learn to survive and breed.
- Release date: 4 October 2026, at Sam, Desert National Park, Jaisalmer
- Birds released: 2 males (first captive-bred GIBs released into the wild)
- Birds at Sam and Ramdevra centres: 97 (40 from wild-laid eggs, 57 captive-bred); 86 kept for breeding, 11 earmarked for release
- Captive-bred live chicks: 24 in 2025, 29 in 2026
- "Jumpstart" method: 6 chicks hatched in Rajasthan, 2 in Gujarat
- Fenced grassland enclosures in Desert National Park: about 200 sq km
- Partners: MoEFCC, Rajasthan Forest Department, WII, International Fund for Houbara Conservation; funding from National CAMPA
- GIB status: IUCN Critically Endangered; WPA Schedule I; CITES Appendix I; CMS Appendix I (2020)
- Wild GIB population: about 150 (2018 estimate)
- Desert National Park: about 3,162 sq km, Jaisalmer and Barmer