Top officials running Project Great Indian Bustard (GIB) for conservation of the bird have said that the process of releasing captive-bred ones in Rajasthan’s Desert National Park will continue as scheduled in the coming weeks, dismissing reports that the authorities would destroy desert fox dens in the area before it.In a milestone for the conservation of the critically endangered GIB, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav released two six-month-old male GIBs into the wild at Sam in Jaisalmer on October 4. Another two birds were released subsequently. On October 17, one of the four was found dead near a desert fox den.Officials said losses to predation are factored into any rewilding process, and there was no question of mass removal of the desert fox species to secure the GIB.Rajasthan Chief Wildlife Warden Arun Prasad told The Indian Express: “There is no such decision. Destroying desert fox dens is out of the question.”Sutirtha Dutta, lead scientist on the Project GIB, said: “We will release up to 10 six-month-old birds in the first phase. The actual number will depend on the condition of individual birds. The six-month cut-off is ideal because the birds reach 70-75% of their adult size and gain flight capability by then, and are yet young enough to adapt in the wild.”Lessons from SaudiLong before India launched its captive breeding programme for the GIB in 2018, Saudi Arabia had held a similar project for the bird’s evolutionary cousin, the Houbara bustard, in 1986.Between 1991 and 2016, the Saudi project released 1,117 captive-bred birds across a royal reserve spanning 2,553 sq km. In the first year, the Houbara releases suffered major setbacks: all five birds in the first batch were lost to predation; only three of 12 survived in the second batch; and only five of 14 in the third.Story continues below this ad Critically endangered Great Indian Bustard released into the wild at Sam in Jaisalmer found dead near desert fox den weeks after reintroduction (Express)Houbara project researchers then relocated red foxes and feral cats from the vicinity of the release enclosure. But this did not reduce the overall predation rate significantly, as avian raptors – such as the Steppe eagle and eagle-owl – remained major threats.Finally, releasing 4-month-old flying sub-adults turned the tide, and by 1994, the survival rate was up to 50%. By 2016, the locally extinct Houbara had reached a self-sustaining population of 300-400 birds.Predation is naturalProject GIB is releasing six-month-old sub-adults with flight capability which, even at that stage, are typically too large for a desert fox to run down or ambush during twilight hours. However, the birds which roost on the ground are vulnerable to foxes, which are nocturnal predators, at night. Other predators, such as raptors, desert cats and dogs, also pose a threat to GIB in the Desert National Park.Dutta noted that the captive-bred GIBs they released were seen in the company of wild GIB flocks within days. “Beyond their instincts, they are expected to pick up certain survival skills through social interaction over time,” he said.Story continues below this adEven wild-born birds are not immune to predation, pointed out G S Bhardwaj, Director, Wildlife Institute of India, which means wild reintroduction programmes are bound to face initial hurdles. “Across species and geographies, it has always been about learning from experience, calibrating the response, and filling up the gaps. Our scientists are doing a good job with the help of Rajasthan forest officials. Project GIB is on the right track,” he said.Ground realitiesThe Rajasthan Forest Department claims to have established approximately 200 sq km of fenced grassland enclosures inside the Desert National Park for the GIB. However, the quality of the GIB habitat restoration work has often been questioned.“One cannot train a bird how to avoid predators it has never encountered in captivity. But the species would have a better chance of survival if habitat restoration was given as much importance as captive breeding,” said Dau Lal Bohra, a Bikaner-based member of the IUCN Wildlife Health Specialist Group.A senior forest official, who requested anonymity, added that along with the birds, their eggs at wild nesting sites are vulnerable to predation. “Our focus is on the prime nesting areas – around 20 sq km in all – where we do limited predator management through selective translocation. But other predators occupy the empty space. So far, we have succeeded in keeping only dogs out permanently,” the official said.Story continues below this adProject GIB facilities at Sam and Ramdevra now house 97 birds – 40 from wild-laid eggs and 57 bred in captivity. Of these, 86 birds are being maintained for captive reproduction.Dutta outlined the project’s realistic ambitions: “Captive breeding resulted in 24 live chicks in 2025 and 29 in 2026. Our plan is to release up to 30 birds annually in the coming years. Even at a 30-35% survival rate, that will provide a major boost to India’s wild GIB population, currently estimated at around 130.”GIB 1: Two captive-bred GIBs (center) flanked by two wild birds in Rajasthan’s Desert National Park. Courtesy: Project GIBGIB 2: Three captive-bred GIBs released in Rajasthan’s Desert National Park. Courtesy: Project GIB