India prepares to release captive-bred Great Indian Bustards into the wild: what rewilding involves

India’s conservation programme for the critically endangered Great Indian Bustard is entering its rewilding stage, with scientific preparations underway to release captive-bred birds into the wild, Union minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav said in a post on his official X account on Friday.

‘Extensive scientific preparations are underway to ensure the safe release of captive-bred birds into the wild. Necessary infrastructure, monitoring systems and management protocols are being put in place to maximise the birds’ chances of survival,’ Yadav said. The rewilding phase follows the successful breeding of 98 chicks at captive-breeding centres at Sam and Ramdevra in Rajasthan’s Jaisalmer district.

The progress of the conservation programme was reviewed during the 91st meeting of the Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife, held at the Central Academy for State Forest Service in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, on Friday. Yadav credited the Wildlife Institute of India and the forest departments of Rajasthan and Gujarat for their role in scientific breeding, habitat management and continuous monitoring of the species.

The minister also pointed to a separate milestone: a second ‘Jump Start’ intervention carried out in Naliya, Gujarat, produced a chick born on May 21, 2026, that has crossed the critical 40-day survival period, one of the most vulnerable stages in the bird’s life.

Wildlife experts said the scientific captive breeding programme, combined with the upcoming rewilding effort, has significantly improved the prospects for the recovery of the species.