Great Indian Bustard chick born in Gujarat after a decade through jumpstart approach: Environment Minister

Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav announced on Saturday, March 28, 2026, that a Great Indian Bustard (GIB) chick has been born in Gujarat’s Kutch after a decade with a new conservation initiative, jump-start approach.

This is the first such inter-state initiative in the country. Implementing the initiative in Gujarat, where there is no prospect of producing a fertile egg as only three female GIBs survive in the grasslands of Kutch, required a grueling, non-stop road journey of 770 kilometers to transport an incubated egg.

In a major interstate conservation effort, a captive-bred GIB egg from a conservation breeding program in Rajasthan was transported by road in a hand-held portable incubator for more than 19 hours and was successfully implanted in the nest of a female GIB on March 22. The female GIB, tagged in August 2025, had previously laid an infertile egg.

The minister said that the female completed the incubation process of the fertile egg and the chick was successfully hatched on March 26. The field monitoring team observes the chick being raised by its foster mother in its natural environment. Mr. Yadav described it as a significant achievement in saving critically endangered species.

The jumpstart, coordinated with the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), the State Forest Departments of Rajasthan and Gujarat, and the Wildlife Institute of India, was planned a year ago.

The GIB Project, envisaged by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2011 to protect the Great Indian Bustard in its natural habitats, including Gujarat, was officially launched in 2016. The project has made steady progress in strengthening conservation and recovery efforts for the species, Mr. Yadav said in a social media post.

The number of birds in conservation breeding centers at Sam and Ramdevra in Rajasthan has reached 73 with the addition of five new chicks in the current breeding season, the minister informed. He added that India is now moving towards rewilding of birds as part of long-term conservation planning.

This effort is one of several steps taken to revive GIB populations and reflects India’s strong commitment towards wildlife conservation, Mr. Yadav said. He congratulated all the scientists, field officers and wildlife enthusiasts who participated in the effort and expressed hope for the survival of the chicks, stating that the government was determined to leave no stone unturned to make the conservation effort successful.