A Great Indian Bustard chick has successfully hatched from egg, it was done through artificial insemination at the National Conservation Breeding Centre in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. It is a remarkable achievement for saving this critically endangered species in the Thar Desert. Barely a month old, the small brown chick with dark speckles has caught attention of sscientists and environmentalists.
The journey of this Indian Bustard chick had begun with inseminating a female Great Indian Bustard with the sperm of a three-year-old male Great Indian Bustard. The female laid an egg on September 24, which eventually hatched into chick. The Great Indian Bustard chick is the first to be born through artificial insemination technique. The Great Indian Bustard is one of the most critically endangered bird species in India, with only 173 individuals left in the wild. These majestic birds were once found in large numbers in Thar desert have been pushed to the brink of extinction due to habitat loss, hunting and other human activities.
Bustard Recovery Program
This Bustard Recovery Programme was initiated in 2018 by the government of India under the collaboration of Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and Government of Rajasthan. In this program, both natural breeding and artificial insemination have been provided for increasing the population of the Great Indian Bustard. For this scientists were trained at the International Fund for Houbara Conservation, Abu Dhabi, where they learned techniques in artificial insemination.
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