Great Indian Bustard Chick born in Kutch marking conservation breakthrough

Great Indian Bustard Chick born in Kutch marking conservation breakthrough

¨     Great Indian Bustard Chick born in Kutch marking conservation breakthrough.

¨     A chick of the extremely rare Great Indian Bustard, locally known as Ghorad, has been born in Gujarat’s Kutch district after nearly a decade.

¨     The birth has been reported from the grasslands of Abdasa and is being considered a major milestone in conservation efforts.

¨     It has been observed that earlier eggs laid by female bustards in Kutch remained unfertilised due to the absence of male birds.

¨     To address this issue, an ‘Operation Egg Transfer’ was carried out by the State Forest Department.

¨     A fertilised egg was transported from a breeding centre in Rajasthan to Kutch using a portable incubator.

¨     The transfer journey was completed over a duration of approximately 19 hours by road.

¨     The fertilised egg was placed in the nest of a female bustard on March 22 by replacing an unfertilised one.

¨     After natural incubation by the female bird, a healthy chick hatched on March 26.

¨     The success has been described as an effective use of modern conservation techniques by authorities.