Captive-bred Great Indian Bustards to be released into the wild for the first time
About 140 bustards survive in the wild. Can birds raised in captivity cope with power lines and predators?
Published 3 October 2026. Written by Pratidin from the reports linked at the end; every fact checked by a separate review before publishing. How we work
India is set to release captive-bred Great Indian Bustards (GIBs) into the wild for the first time, The Indian Express reported on 3 October 2026. Two male chicks, four to six months old, will be set free in Desert National Park near Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. Each will carry a radio tag so that scientists can follow its movement and behaviour after release. The step marks the official start of the 'rewilding phase' of Project GIB, a recovery effort under way since 2013. Rewilding here means returning animals bred in captivity to their natural habitat so that they add to the wild population. The chicks come from conservation breeding centres in Jaisalmer, where the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) has so far bred 98 bustards in captivity.
The stakes are high because the wild population is tiny: about 140 birds, mostly in Rajasthan, with a small group in Kutch, Gujarat. The GIB (Ardeotis nigriceps) has been listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List since 2011 and is protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. It is a large, heavy bird of dry, open grasslands, and its threats include habitat loss, poaching, predation and collisions with overhead power lines, including lines that serve renewable energy projects in its range in the Thar desert.
The courts have shaped how that threat is handled: the Supreme Court has ordered that renewable energy power lines outside Desert National Park be laid underground by December 2027. The decline has been steep, from an estimated 250 birds in 2011 to as few as 150 by 2018. Rajasthan began Project GIB on World Environment Day 2013 by fencing off breeding grounds, and on 14 September 2026 a soft-release centre for the bustard was inaugurated at Naliya in Kutch to help birds adapt gradually to the wild. Captive breeding can add birds faster than the wild population can, but the release will test whether captive-reared birds survive and breed, which depends on safe grassland and on the lines being buried on time.
Prelims facts
- For the first time, captive-bred Great Indian Bustards are being released into the wild: two radio-tagged male chicks, aged four to six months, in Desert National Park, Jaisalmer.
- The release begins the 'rewilding phase' of Project GIB, a recovery effort under way since 2013.
- The Wildlife Institute of India has bred 98 bustards in captivity at its Jaisalmer centres; the wild population is about 140, mostly in Rajasthan.
- The GIB (Ardeotis nigriceps) is Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List (since 2011), in Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, and is the state bird of Rajasthan.
- The Supreme Court has ordered renewable energy power lines outside Desert National Park to be laid underground by December 2027.
Quick recall
- Where are captive-bred Great Indian Bustards being released for the first time?
- Desert National Park, near Jaisalmer, Rajasthan.
- How many birds are in the first release, and of what age?
- Two male chicks, aged four to six months, each with a radio tag.
- Which institution has bred Great Indian Bustards in captivity, and how many?
- The Wildlife Institute of India, 98 bustards, at centres in Jaisalmer.
- About how many Great Indian Bustards remain in the wild?
- About 140, mostly in Rajasthan.
- Since when has Project GIB been under way?
- Since 2013.
- IUCN status of the Great Indian Bustard?
- Critically Endangered, since 2011.
- By when must renewable energy power lines outside Desert National Park be laid underground?
- By December 2027, under the Supreme Court's orders.
- Where is the Wildlife Institute of India, and when was it set up?
- Dehradun, Uttarakhand; 1982, under the Union Environment Ministry.
Prelims practice question
With reference to the Great Indian Bustard, consider the following statements:
1. It is listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List.
2. The first release of captive-bred bustards into the wild is taking place in Desert National Park.
3. Its conservation breeding in India is being carried out by the Zoological Survey of India.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
- 1 and 2 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 1 and 3 only
- 1, 2 and 3
Show answer
Answer: (a) 1 and 2 only. Statement 1 is correct: the GIB has been Critically Endangered since 2011. Statement 2 is correct: two radio-tagged male chicks are being released in Desert National Park near Jaisalmer. Statement 3 is wrong: the birds have been bred by the Wildlife Institute of India at centres in Jaisalmer.
Asked before in UPSC
Recurring theme: Endangered species recovery, protected areas and the conflict between renewable energy infrastructure and biodiversity
Court-ordered undergrounding of renewable energy power lines in bustard habitat, a result of conservation litigation, is a strong example for this question.
Desert National Park, a GIB habitat spread over Jaisalmer and Barmer, is where the first captive-bred bustards are being released.
Mains practice question
India has begun releasing captive-bred Great Indian Bustards into the wild. Discuss the role of conservation breeding in the recovery of critically endangered species and the conditions needed for it to succeed. (250 words)
Model answer
The Great Indian Bustard (GIB), Critically Endangered since 2011, has only about 140 birds left in the wild. In October 2026 India began releasing captive-bred bustards, two radio-tagged male chicks in Desert National Park, starting the rewilding phase of Project GIB.
Role of conservation breeding
- Insurance population: the Wildlife Institute of India has bred 98 bustards in captivity in Jaisalmer, a reserve if wild numbers crash further.
- Faster recovery: the female lays a single egg, so captive rearing can add birds faster than the wild population can.
- Science: radio tags on released birds give data on movement, survival and causes of death.
- Complement to in situ work: breeding supports, but does not replace, protection of habitat.
Conditions for success
- Safe habitat: collision with overhead power lines is a major threat, and the Supreme Court has ordered renewable energy lines outside Desert National Park to go underground by December 2027.
- Grassland management: protect grasslands from conversion and control predators, as Rajasthan's Project GIB began doing in 2013 by fencing off breeding grounds.
- Gradual release: soft-release facilities, such as the centre opened at Naliya in Kutch in September 2026, and monitoring help captive-reared birds adjust.
- Community support: herders and villages share the landscape and must gain from conservation.
- Coordination: the Centre, Rajasthan, Gujarat and power developers must keep to deadlines.
Conclusion
Captive breeding can buy time for the GIB, but its survival depends on whether the wild it returns to is made safe.
The basics
Why this matters
The Great Indian Bustard is one of the world's most threatened birds, and India is now trying something it has never done for the species: releasing birds raised in captivity into the wild. The story links three examinable ideas: how species are classified by risk, how ex situ and in situ conservation work together, and how courts balance wildlife against renewable energy.
The bird
The Great Indian Bustard is a large, heavy bird of dry grasslands. It has been Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List since 2011 and is in Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. Its stronghold is Desert National Park near Jaisalmer.
Two ways to save a species
Conservation inside the natural habitat is called in situ; conservation outside it, in breeding centres, zoos or seed banks, is ex situ. See Ex situ and in situ conservation. Project GIB now joins the two.
- Protect grasslands in Rajasthan and Gujarat
- Bury renewable energy lines outside Desert National Park by December 2027
- Control predators and poaching
- Breeding centres in Jaisalmer
- 98 bustards bred by the Wildlife Institute of India
- Radio-tagged chicks released into the wild
The numbers side by side
Captive breeding has already produced a large number of birds compared with the wild population, but only two are being released in this first step.
Power lines and the court
Collision with overhead power lines is a major threat, explained in Power lines and the bustard. The Supreme Court has set December 2027 as the deadline to lay renewable energy lines outside Desert National Park underground. The Wildlife Institute of India runs the breeding programme.
- 1980Desert National Park gazetted
- 2011IUCN lists the GIB as Critically Endangered
- 2013Rajasthan launches Project GIB on World Environment Day
- 14 September 2026Soft-release centre for the bustard opens at Naliya, Kutch
- October 2026First captive-bred bustards released in Desert National Park
The takeaway
Breeding birds is the easier half. The harder half is making the desert safe enough that released birds live long enough to breed.
Go deeper
In one line: India is releasing captive-bred Great Indian Bustards into the wild for the first time, starting with two radio-tagged male chicks in Desert National Park.
Why it matters for UPSC
The GIB is a favourite of both Prelims (status, habitat, protected areas) and Mains (conservation versus renewable energy, the role of courts). The 2020 Prelims asked directly about Desert National Park as a GIB habitat.
The core idea
The Great Indian Bustard has fallen to about 140 wild birds. The Wildlife Institute of India has bred 98 in captivity in Jaisalmer. Releasing them begins the rewilding phase of Project GIB, joining Ex situ and in situ conservation. Birds will go into Desert National Park, where a major danger is collision with overhead lines, explored in Power lines and the bustard.
Numbers and dates to remember
- Wild population: about 140, mostly in Rajasthan
- Bred in captivity: 98
- First release: two male chicks, four to six months old, radio-tagged
- Project GIB: launched by Rajasthan in 2013
- Soft-release centre at Naliya, Kutch: opened 14 September 2026
- Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List: since 2011
- Undergrounding of renewable energy lines outside Desert National Park: by December 2027
Where to go next
- Great Indian Bustard: the bird, its status and why it is so vulnerable
- Ex situ and in situ conservation: the two routes to saving a species
- Wildlife Institute of India: the body behind the breeding programme
- Desert National Park: the bird's last stronghold
- Power lines and the bustard: why overhead lines kill bustards and what the court has ordered
Go deeper: Can captive breeding save a species?
The case for. A population of about 140 birds is vulnerable to a single bad year. A captive flock of 98 birds bred by the Wildlife Institute of India is insurance. Because the female lays a single egg, captive rearing can add birds faster than nature can. Radio tags on released birds will show where they go and how they die, which helps target protection.
The case for caution. Birds reared in captivity may not know how to avoid predators or find food, so early releases often see losses. Two chicks are a careful first step, not a recovery. Most importantly, captive breeding treats the symptom. If birds return to a landscape crossed by overhead lines, they will die the way wild birds do.
The legal balance. Overhead transmission lines in the desert cause collision deaths, while the expansion of renewable energy across desert and grassland also eats into habitat (see Power lines and the bustard). The Supreme Court has ordered renewable energy lines outside Desert National Park to be laid underground by December 2027; meeting that deadline is the key test of whether the park's surroundings will be safe.
The bigger lesson. Ex situ and in situ conservation work best together: the breeding centre buys time, and the grassland must be made safe in that time.
Great Indian Bustard
Know the bird, its status and why it is so easily killed
In one line: The Great Indian Bustard (Ardeotis nigriceps) is a large grassland bird, Critically Endangered, with about 140 left in the wild.
The bird
It lives in arid and semi-arid grasslands and open country with thorn scrub. Most of the surviving birds are in Rajasthan's Thar desert, with a small group in Kutch, Gujarat. It is the state bird of Rajasthan, where it is known as the godavan.
Legal status
- IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered since 2011
- Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule I, the highest protection
Why it is in danger
It has vanished from about 90% of its former range. Hunting and habitat loss are the main threats; roads and overhead transmission lines in the desert cause collision deaths, and solar parks spreading over desert and grassland take away habitat.
Where to go next
Ex situ and in situ conservation
The two routes to saving a species, now combined for the bustard
In one line: In situ conservation protects a species in its natural home; ex situ conservation protects it outside, for example in breeding centres.
In situ
Protected areas such as national parks and wildlife sanctuaries protect species in their natural populations. For the bustard this means protecting grasslands, controlling predators and removing hazards such as power lines.
Ex situ
Zoos, captive breeding centres, gene banks and seed libraries hold species outside their natural habitat, under human care. Returning captive-bred animals to the wild is what Project GIB calls its rewilding phase.
Why it is in the news
The first release of captive-bred bustards links the two: birds bred ex situ in Jaisalmer return in situ to Desert National Park.
Where to go next
Wildlife Institute of India
The institution running the bustard breeding programme
In one line: The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) is a wildlife research institution in Dehradun, set up in 1982 under the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
What it does
WII studies biodiversity, endangered species, wildlife policy and management, wildlife forensics, ecology and climate change, and helps conduct wildlife censuses. Its campus is at Chandrabani in Dehradun district, Uttarakhand.
Its role for the bustard
WII runs conservation breeding centres for the GIB in Jaisalmer, where it has bred 98 bustards in captivity. It is now leading the first release of captive-bred birds, with radio tags to track them.
Where to go next
Desert National Park
The bustard's stronghold and the site of the first release
In one line: Desert National Park in western Rajasthan is the main remaining home of the Great Indian Bustard.
The park
It covers about 3,162 sq km of the Thar desert: about 1,900 sq km in Jaisalmer district and 1,262 sq km in Barmer district. Sand dunes make up about 44% of it, with rocky ground, salt lake bottoms and grassland. It was gazetted in 1980 and also holds fossils about 180 million years old.
Why it is in the news
The first captive-bred bustards are being released here. The Supreme Court has ordered renewable energy power lines outside the park to be laid underground by December 2027.
Exam note
The 2020 Prelims asked whether the park spreads over two districts, has no human habitation, and is a GIB habitat. It does spread over two districts, and it is a GIB habitat.
Where to go next
Power lines and the bustard
Why overhead lines kill bustards and what the court has ordered
In one line: Overhead power lines are one of the threats to the Great Indian Bustard, and the Supreme Court has ordered renewable energy lines outside Desert National Park to be laid underground by December 2027.
The problem
The bustard is among the heaviest flying birds. Roads and electric power transmission lines built across the desert lead to collision deaths. The expansion of renewable energy, which can cover large areas of desert and grassland with solar panels, also threatens its habitat.
The court's order
The Supreme Court has required renewable energy project power lines outside Desert National Park to be buried by December 2027. Whether this is done on time will decide how safe the released captive-bred birds are.
Why it is in the news
The first captive-bred bustards are going into this landscape, so the line deadline now matters for the rewilding phase.
Where to go next
Prelims-style quiz
Consider the following statements about the first release of captive-bred Great Indian Bustards:
1. Two male chicks are being released.
2. The birds will carry radio tags.
3. The release is taking place in Kutch, Gujarat.
How many of the statements given above are correct?- Only one
- Only two
- All three
- None
Show answer
Answer: (b) Only two. Statement 1 is correct: two male chicks aged four to six months. Statement 2 is correct: each is radio-tagged. Statement 3 is wrong: the release is in Desert National Park near Jaisalmer, Rajasthan.
Consider the following statements:
Statement-I: The Supreme Court has ordered renewable energy power lines outside Desert National Park to be laid underground by December 2027.
Statement-II: Collision with overhead power lines is a threat to the Great Indian Bustard.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?- Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I
- Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II does not explain Statement-I
- Statement-I is correct but Statement-II is incorrect
- Statement-I is incorrect but Statement-II is correct
Show answer
Answer: (a) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I. Both are correct. The undergrounding order exists because birds die by flying into overhead lines, so Statement-II explains Statement-I.
Consider the following:
1. Desert National Park lies in Jaisalmer and Barmer districts.
2. The Great Indian Bustard is in Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
3. Project Great Indian Bustard was launched by the Government of Gujarat in 2013.
4. The Great Indian Bustard is the state bird of Rajasthan.
How many of the above are correct?- Only one
- Only two
- Only three
- All four
Show answer
Answer: (c) Only three. 1, 2 and 4 are correct. 3 is wrong: Project Great Indian Bustard was launched by Rajasthan on World Environment Day 2013.
Which one of the following best describes ex situ conservation?
- Declaring a grassland a national park
- Breeding a species in a centre outside its natural habitat
- Burying power lines inside a protected area
- Notifying an eco-sensitive zone around a park
Show answer
Answer: (b) Breeding a species in a centre outside its natural habitat. Ex situ means outside the natural habitat, such as captive breeding centres, zoos and gene banks. The other three options are in situ measures that protect the habitat itself.
Consider the following statements:
1. The Wildlife Institute of India is located in Dehradun.
2. The Supreme Court has set December 2027 as the deadline for laying renewable energy power lines outside Desert National Park underground.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?- 1 only
- 2 only
- Both 1 and 2
- Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer
Answer: (c) Both 1 and 2. Both are correct: WII is in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, and the Court has fixed December 2027 for undergrounding renewable energy lines outside the park.