Jaisalmer: A programme for the experimental release of captive-bred Great Indian Bustards (GIBs) into the wild suffered a setback Sunday after a desert fox killed a six-month-old male bird in Jaisalmer’s Desert National Park.The bird, released just last Wednesday, was at a natural watering hole at the time of the attack, forest officials said.Wildlife Institute of India (WII) scientists and forest department officials monitoring the birds from a control room at the GIB breeding centre in Sam were alerted to the incident via satellite tracking.By the time a team arrived at the spot, all that remained of the bird were shattered remains and feathers, with the offending fox nowhere to be seen. Officials collected blood samples for examination and retrieved the satellite-tracking device attached to the bird from the spot.The incident has forced WII scientists to review release protocols and conservation measures to prevent a recurrence of such incidents. Seven other GIBs slated for rewilding will now be released only after a thorough review of programme safeguards.A forest official described the incident as a natural predation event that happened despite regular patrols and protective measures, noting that predator species like desert foxes are native to the park’s landscape.“Predation in the wild is natural and bound to happen. Our teams on the ground are well motivated, and such incidents will only serve to further strengthen their determination to achieve the objectives laid out in the GIB conservation plan,” said WII director Gobind Sagar Bharadwaj.Under the first phase of the experimental rewilding programme, 11 captive-bred GIBs, all aged around six months, were identified for release. On Oct 4, Union environment minister Bhupender Yadav flagged off the release of two satellite-tagged male birds at the Sudasari release site in Jaisalmer’s Sam region.Both the birds were bred at WII’s Sam breeding centre.Two more male GIBs were released at the same site last Wednesday, one of which was killed Sunday.Sources in the forest department said the remaining three birds released into the wild are safe and continue to move across the park, their movements routinely tracked via satellite.Sunday’s incident highlights the natural challenges of reintroducing captive-bred GIBs into the wild and restoring the population of a critically endangered species.
