Two male Great Indian Bustards released into the wild at Desert National Park, Jaisalmer
4 October 2026
Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav released two male Great Indian Bustards into the wild at Sam in the Desert National Park, Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, on 4 October 2026.
Rajasthan's Minister for Forest and Environment Sanjay Sharma was present.
The Bustard Recovery Programme is run by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change with the Rajasthan Forest Department and the Wildlife Institute of India, with technical support from the International Fund for Houbara Conservation.
The conservation breeding facilities at Sam and Ramdevra hold 97 birds - 40 raised from wild-laid eggs and 57 captive-bred. Eleven have been earmarked for release.
The programme produced 24 live chicks in 2025 and 29 in 2026.
Under the jumpstart approach, captive-laid eggs placed in wild nests hatched six chicks in Rajasthan and two in Gujarat.
About 200 square kilometres of fenced grassland enclosures have been created inside the Desert National Park for breeding.
In plain words
Great Indian Bustard Ardeotis nigriceps — A large grassland bird of western India, now confined mainly to the Thar desert region of Rajasthan.
WII Wildlife Institute of India — A Dehradun-based institute under the Environment Ministry that does wildlife research and training.