Almost eight years after Gujarat last saw a male great Indian bustard (GIB), the grasslands of Naliya have finally delivered the news conservationists had been waiting for: the state’s second “jump-start” GIB chick has been confirmed male.The chick, born on May 21, has crossed the crucial three-month mark after surviving the high-risk first 40 days and has begun flying up to 600 metres. Officials tracking its development said its head and neck plumage have turned distinctly whiter than that of its foster mother. “The chick has been confirmed to be male. Its plumage and physical development are consistent with male traits,” a senior forest official said on condition of anonymity.The news has raised hopes for species revival in Gujarat, which had more than 50 GIBs in the late 1990s but is now left with only three adult females. The last known male GIB in the state disappeared in Dec 2018, leaving no possibility of natural breeding.The Naliya chick is the second bird fostered by the same female under the jump-start method — the female’s infertile egg was replaced with a viable egg brought from Rajasthan.The first “jump-start” GIB chick, which hatched on March 24, went missing after 24 days, triggering criticism and prompting stricter surveillance for the second attempt.This time, about 50 forest guards worked in three shifts, monitoring the chick 24/7 from watchtowers equipped with spotting scopes, binoculars and tripods. Officials also reduced the risk from predators by clearing patches of gando baval, improving visibility. Artificial water holes were kept dry to keep feral dogs and jackals away.Union environment minister Bhupender Yadav had confirmed through his tweet that the Naliya jump-start attempt had succeeded after the chick survived 40 days.The male bird will aid Gujarat’s efforts to rebuild the state’s GIB population, a senior officer said.
