Great Indian Bustard chick goes missing in Kutch: Forest officials
A month-old Great Indian Bustard chick, hatched in Gujarat's Kutch through a first-of-its-kind inter-state egg transfer from Rajasthan, has been missing since April 18, 2026, raising concerns about its survival. Forest officials have not ruled out predation and are continuing search efforts, while acknowledging delays in habitat safeguards like fencing and grassland management. The incident has sparked debate over whether adequate conservation measures were in place before the chick's release into the wild.
- ▪The Great Indian Bustard chick was born on March 26, 2026, in Naliya grassland, Gujarat, after a fertile egg was transported 770 km from Rajasthan in a 19-hour journey using a portable incubator.
- ▪This was the first wild hatching of the species in Gujarat in a decade and the first inter-state 'jumpstart' conservation effort of its kind in India.
- ▪Forest officials are considering predation as a likely cause for the chick's disappearance, as predator-proof fencing and proper grassland vegetation were not fully in place at the time.
- ▪The Supreme Court of India has recognized the Great Indian Bustard as 'seriously endangered' and mandated active recovery efforts alongside renewable energy development.
- ▪With fewer than 150 individuals left nationwide and only two to three wild females remaining in Gujarat, conservationists are using innovative methods to prevent extinction.
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Great Indian Bustard chick goes missing in Kutch: Forest officialsA month-old chick of the Great Indian Bustard, hatched in the wild in Gujarat’s Kutch through a first-of-its-kind inter-state egg transfer.Updated on: Apr 30, 2026 9:02 PM ISTBy Maulik Pathak, AhmedabadShare viaCopy link A month-old chick of the Great Indian Bustard, hatched in the wild in Gujarat’s Kutch through a first-of-its-kind inter-state egg transfer, has been missing since April 18, with forest officials not ruling out predation and experts questioning whether adequate habitat safeguards were in place for its survival.A month-old chick of the Great Indian Bustard has been missing since April 18 (HT_PRINT)The Great Indian Bustard, the state bird of Rajasthan, is among the heaviest flying birds of Indian grasslands,…
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