Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Bhupender Yadav released two male Great Indian Bustards into the wild at Sam in the Desert National Park, Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, on Sunday (October 4). Rajasthan's Minister for Forest and Environment, Sanjay Sharma, and senior officers of the Union and State governments were present.
The Great Indian Bustard is a critically endangered species. Yadav said the release was the outcome of nearly a decade of work by scientists, researchers and ground staff to help the bird reclaim the deserts of Rajasthan. In a post on X, he thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his guidance and support to the scientific community working on the bustard and other species.
The Environment Ministry described the release as a transition in the conservation programme, from establishing a viable conservation-breeding population towards rewilding and augmenting the species in its natural habitat. Learnings from this release will be used to refine the protocols for later releases step by step.
The Bustard Recovery Programme is run jointly by the Ministry, the Rajasthan Forest Department and the Wildlife Institute of India (WII). The International Fund for Houbara Conservation provides technical collaboration, and National CAMPA provides funding. The programme covers conservation breeding, habitat management, threat mitigation, habitat restoration and community engagement.
The facilities at Sam and Ramdevra house 97 birds. Of these, 40 originated from wild-laid eggs and 57 were bred in captivity. A total of 86 birds are being kept for captive reproduction, while 11 have been earmarked for release, including the two freed at the Desert National Park. Captive reproduction produced 24 live chicks in 2025 and 29 in 2026.
The Ministry also pointed to the 'jumpstart' approach, under which captive-laid eggs were placed in wild nests and accepted by incubating females. Six chicks hatched in Rajasthan and two in Gujarat this way.
The Rajasthan Forest Department has set up around 200 sq. km of fenced grassland enclosures inside the Desert National Park. Long-term telemetry studies by WII have identified these enclosures as prime breeding habitat for the species.
The Ministry said conservation actions for the species are guided by a Supreme Court judgment, which was based on the recommendations of the Expert Committee constituted for the purpose.
With reference to the Bustard Recovery Programme, consider the following statements:
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Consider the following information about the birds housed at the facilities at Sam and Ramdevra:
| Category | Number of birds | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Originated from wild-laid eggs | 40 |
| 2. | Bred in captivity | 57 |
| 3. | Kept for captive reproduction | 86 |
| 4. | Earmarked for release | 21 |
In how many of the above rows is the given information correctly matched?
Consider the following statements:
Statement-I: The release of two male Great Indian Bustards at Sam is described by the Environment Ministry as a transition from establishing a viable conservation-breeding population towards rewilding.
Statement-II: Long-term telemetry studies by the Wildlife Institute of India have identified the fenced grassland enclosures inside the Desert National Park as prime breeding habitat for the species.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
