Published: 30 March 2026Manorama Yearbook / Gulf News / Social News XYZ / DD NewsEnvironment
Great Indian Bustard Chick Hatched in Gujarat's Kutch After a Decade via First-Ever Inter-State 'Jumpstart' Initiative from Rajasthan
A Great Indian Bustard (GIB) chick was successfully hatched on March 26, 2026, in Gujarat's Kutch region — the first such birth in Gujarat in nearly a decade — through India's first-ever inter-state 'jumpstart' conservation initiative. A fertile, captive-bred GIB egg from Rajasthan's conservation breeding programme was transported 770 km by road in a handheld portable incubator over 19 continuous hours from Sam (Jaisalmer, Rajasthan) to Naliya (Kutch, Gujarat), creating a halt-free corridor to preserve the egg's viability.
The initiative was coordinated by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the Rajasthan and Gujarat State Forest Departments, and the Wildlife Institute of India. The urgency arose because Gujarat retains only three surviving wild female GIBs in Kutch's grasslands, making natural breeding impossible. A foster wild mother in Kutch successfully incubated the transferred egg and hatched the chick.
The GIB is Critically Endangered with only approximately 150 individuals estimated in the wild. Rajasthan holds the bulk of the wild population and hosts two conservation breeding centres at Sam and Ramdevra in Jaisalmer district, together housing 73 birds. Five new chicks were added during the current breeding season. The species faces threats from power line collisions (especially overhead transmission lines), habitat loss, and human disturbance.
0Mains angle
Q: Analyse the conservation significance of India's first inter-state 'jumpstart' initiative for the Great Indian Bustard, transporting a fertile egg 770 km from Rajasthan's Sam to Gujarat's Kutch.
Answer (50 words):
On 26 March 2026, a Great Indian Bustard chick hatched in Kutch via India's first inter-state jumpstart initiative: a fertile egg travelled 770 km over 19 hours from Sam, Jaisalmer to Naliya. With only 150 wild GIBs remaining and Rajasthan's two breeding centres housing 73 birds, it revived Gujarat's population.
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CoverageRajasthanTypeInitiativeSubjectScience & TechnologyExamBasic Computer Instructor · CET Graduation · CET Senior Secondary · EO/RO · LDC · Mahila Supervisor · Patwar · PTI · RAS · REET · RPSC SI · School Lecturer · Senior Computer Instructor · Senior Teacher · UPSC · Vanpal · BothSourceManorama Yearbook / Gulf News / Social News XYZ / DD News
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Linked questionMedium
From which two locations was the fertile Great Indian Bustard egg transported in the March 2026 inter-state jumpstart initiative?
Explanation · Correct answer BThe fertile GIB egg was transported 770 km over 19 hours from Sam in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, to Naliya in Kutch, Gujarat, using a portable incubator.
Frequently asked questions
What was India's first inter-state 'jumpstart' GIB conservation initiative and what did it achieve?
India's first inter-state 'jumpstart' GIB (Great Indian Bustard) conservation initiative involved transporting a fertile egg 770 km from the breeding centre at Sam, Rajasthan to the Naliya grasslands in Gujarat's Kutch district for artificial incubation. On March 26, 2026, a healthy chick hatched — the first GIB chick born in Kutch in over a decade — marking a major milestone in the species' recovery.
What is the current population status of the Great Indian Bustard and why is it critically endangered?
Only approximately 150 Great Indian Bustards (GIBs) remain in the wild, primarily in Rajasthan's Thar Desert. The species is classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Key threats include habitat loss due to agricultural expansion, power line collisions (a leading cause of adult mortality), poaching, and disturbance from infrastructure projects.
Under which legislation is the Great Indian Bustard (Godawan) protected and what does that protection entail?
The Great Indian Bustard is protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, which provides the highest level of legal protection. Hunting, trapping, or harming GIBs is a cognizable offence with penalties of up to three years imprisonment. It is also Rajasthan's State Bird, known locally as 'Godawan.'
Where are Rajasthan's two GIB breeding centres located and how many birds do they house?
Rajasthan's two GIB breeding centres are located at Sam in Jaisalmer district and Ramdevra (Pokhran) in Jaisalmer district. Together they house 73 birds as of 2026, making them the core of India's captive breeding and conservation programme for the critically endangered species.
What is the 'jumpstart' technique in wildlife conservation and what are its advantages?
The 'jumpstart' technique involves collecting eggs from wild or captive GIBs and incubating them artificially, bypassing the natural incubation period to increase breeding success rates. Its advantage is that it allows eggs from high-quality genetic stock to be raised in protected conditions, prevents losses from predation, and can extend conservation efforts to geographically distant habitats where the species once lived.
