Conservationists in Rajasthan Successfully Breed Great Indian Bustard through Artificial Insemination
Last month marked a significant milestone for the great Indian bustard, a critically endangered bird predominantly found in India.
Wildlife officials in Rajasthan’s western state have achieved the first successful hatching of a chick through artificial insemination.
An adult male at one breeding center in Jaisalmer city was trained to produce sperm without mating. This sperm was then used to impregnate an adult female at a separate center located 200km (124 miles) away.
Officials highlighted the importance of this development as it now opens up the possibility of establishing a sperm bank.
Due to habitat loss, poaching, and collisions with overhead power lines, the population of great Indian bustards has dwindled from over 1,000 in the 1960s to around 150 currently.
The majority of these birds are concentrated in Jaisalmer, prompting conservation activists to advocate for the protection of their habitat in the city. However, this region is also sought after by renewable energy companies, creating a unique conservation dilemma.
Despite being less renowned than the peacock (India’s national bird), the great Indian bustard is equally impressive, according to Sumit Dookia, a conservation ecologist with nearly a decade of experience studying the bird. Weighing between 15kg and 18kg, this massive bird is one of India’s largest flying species.
While the great Indian bustard once thrived across at least 11 states in India, its population is now restricted to Rajasthan, with a few sightings in Karnataka and Gujarat.
Playing a crucial role in the food chain by preying on rodents, snakes, and pests, the great Indian bustard is also recognized as the state bird of Rajasthan, known locally as ‘Godawan’.
However, the bird’s unique evolutionary characteristics clash with human interference, rendering it susceptible to extinction.
Notably, the bird possesses good peripheral vision but poor frontal vision, making it challenging to spot power lines until it’s too late. Its large size impedes swift changes in flight paths, leading to fatal collisions with cables.
“Their vision likely evolved this way due to their extensive land-based activities,” Mr. Dookia explains. The bird also lays its eggs on the ground without nests or other protective measures, relying solely on the mother’s vigilance, which may have contributed to its enhanced side vision.
Additionally, the great Indian bustard exhibits distinctive breeding behaviors, laying just one egg and devoting two years to caring for the offspring.
“Since reaching maturity around four years old and living up to 12-15 years, the bird typically lays only four-five eggs in its lifetime, many of which fall prey to predators,” Mr. Dookia notes.
Concerns have been raised over the invasion of solar and wind energy farms in the great Indian bustard’s Jaisalmer habitat, resulting in a surge in airborne accidents.
“The increased human presence has led to more pollution, attracting stray dogs that harm or destroy the birds and their eggs,” Mr. Dookia adds.
To bolster the bird’s population, Rajasthan government collaborated with the federal government and the Wildlife Institute of India to establish a conservation breeding center in Sam city in 2018. Another center was set up in Ramdevra village in 2022, as per Ashish Vyas, a senior forest official in Jaisalmer.
Initially, researchers retrieved eggs from the wild and hatched them in incubation centers. “Currently, both centers house 45 birds, including 14 captive-bred chicks (including the one born through artificial insemination),” he elaborates.
The objective is to further increase the bird population and eventually release them into the wild. However, conservationists caution that this task is easier said than done.
Notably, birds reared in these breeding centers develop a bond with human caretakers, diminishing their ability to survive in the wild by 60-70%, Mr. Dookia explains.
While human imprinting aids in feeding and handling, it compromises the birds’ natural instincts, posing a significant challenge to reintroducing them into the wild, especially without suitable habitats, he adds.
Inadequate habitat has also curtailed the birds’ migratory patterns, with minimal cross-migration observed even within Jaisalmer’s two designated areas – Pokhran in the east and Desert National Park in the west, notes Mr. Dookia.
It’s likely that the birds have ceased long-distance migration due to the risks of airborne accidents, heightening the chances of inbreeding and birth defects.
“The key to conserving the great Indian bustard lies in preserving its natural habitat,” Mr. Dookia emphasizes.
However, a Supreme Court ruling in April has left conservationists unsettled.
The court overturned a previous interim order that directed Rajasthan and Gujarat to prioritize burying power cables in great Indian bustard habitats, triggering opposition from renewable energy firms citing substantial costs and operational disruptions.
In its latest verdict, the court acknowledged people’s right to protection from climate change impacts and questioned the feasibility of extensive underground cable relocation in terms of finances and technology.
A committee has been instructed to explore the viability of relocating power lines and the effectiveness of bird diverters – devices equipped with reflectors attached to power cables to warn birds of their presence.
While corporations laud the court’s decision, conservationists and legal experts warn of the potential repercussions, pitting environmental preservation against commercial interests.
“The judgment highlights a flawed comprehension of the interconnected issues of climate change, biodiversity, and development,” writes ecologist Debadityo Sinha.
He underscores that several densely populated Indian cities have adopted underground power lines to protect other bird species, emphasizing that the costs associated are relatively minor compared to firms’ total earnings.
Dookia notes that Rajasthan’s appeal to renewable energy firms stems from the region’s inexpensive land prices.
“The long-term impact of these renewable energy farms on the state’s climate and ecology remains largely unexplored,” he asserts.
“The fate of not only the bird but also humanity hangs in the balance.” — BBC
