Great Indian bustard returns to wild after captive-breeding programme
India has released two captive-bred males for the first time as a test of a larger restoration programme.
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In India, two captive-bred great Indian bustards have been released in Desert National Park in Rajasthan. The move is an important trial for a programme intended to save one of the country’s rarest birds from extinction.
The birds were released on 4 October near Sam in Desert National Park, close to Jaisalmer. The release took place under the responsibility of India’s Ministry of Environment and with scientists from the Wildlife Institute of India. The breeding programme is thus returning birds from captivity to their habitat for the first time.
The great Indian bustard, Ardeotis nigriceps, lives in dry grasslands and is critically threatened. According to reporting by The Indian Express, about 150 birds remain in the wild. The species faces habitat loss and fragmentation, illegal hunting and collisions with infrastructure such as power lines.
The release is the result of almost a decade of breeding and research. According to the Indian ministry, 24 chicks were raised in 2025 and another 29 in 2026. Those figures do not yet show how many birds will ultimately be able to survive independently in the wild, but they make a controlled trial possible.
The two males have been fitted with transmitters and are being monitored. The first phase is taking place in a facility for gradual release, allowing researchers to see how the birds respond before the programme is expanded on a larger scale. The data collected should determine what adjustments are needed for future releases.
The move is therefore encouraging, but it is not proof that the species has already recovered. Two birds cannot independently change the wild population in the short term. Habitat protection also remains necessary; without sufficient space, food and safe flight paths, a breeding programme cannot reverse the decline.
The Indian approach does show how long-term breeding, scientific monitoring and the protection of nature reserves can complement one another. Success will only become clear over a longer period through survival, reproduction and the development of the wild population. For now, this is a first, carefully monitored trial.
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The release, the institutions involved and the status of the programme have been confirmed by an official Indian source and independent reporting. The article makes clear that this is a trial, not proven recovery of the species.
- confirmed India has released two male great Indian bustards in Desert National Park. — This is stated in the official press release by the Indian ministry. source
- confirmed It was the breeding programme’s first step towards reintroduction into the wild. — The Indian Express describes the release as the first step in rewilding. source
- confirmed About 150 great Indian bustards remain in the wild. — This figure is given as an estimate by The Indian Express. source
- confirmed In 2025 and 2026, 24 and 29 chicks respectively were raised. — These figures appear in information distributed alongside the official government statement. source
Editor's note
The release and the breeding figures have been confirmed by the Indian government and independent reporting. Whether the birds can maintain themselves independently and reproduce remains unknown.Sources
- Union Environment Minister releases two male Great Indian Bustards into the wild — Press Information Bureau, Government of India
- 2 captive-bred great Indian bustards released in Rajasthan park — The Indian Express
- For the first time, captive-bred Great Indian Bustard will set foot in the wild — The Indian Express
More on this in Dutch media
- RTL Nieuws — „india indische trap”
- FD — „india indische trap”
- AD — „india indische trap”