A second chance at survival - Given the recent conservation efforts undertaken by the governments of Rajasthan and Gujarat, it might just be possible to bring back the 'Great Indian Bustard', one of the largest and heaviest birds in the world, from the brink of extinction.

[and/or www.mantra.com/jai]

A SECOND CHANCE AT SURVIVAL

By Gautam Pandey
Op-Ed
The Pioneer
http://www.dailypioneer.com
Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Given the recent conservation efforts undertaken by the
Governments of Rajasthan and Gujarat, it might just be
possible to bring back the Great Indian Bustard, one of
the largest and heaviest birds in the world, from the
brink of extinction

Typically, when the words �wildlife� and �India� are put
together, a vision of tigers and elephants within deep
dark forests with streams, giant sal and banyan trees
with vines and snakes hanging, paints itself across our
mind. Years of story-telling and popular images have all
but cemented this image into most of us. But as a child
when I first learnt about dry scrub habitats and saw
images of it, it was hard to believe how any animal would
want to live there or even survive. Dry scrub forests and
grasslands used to cover a large part of India, and over
40 species of reptiles, numerous mammals and around 400
species of birds including many migratory species like
the demoiselle cranes made it their home.

These creatures and more are uniquely adapted to the
challenging environment of this landscape. They not only
survived but thrived here � until the human element came
in. From organised royal hunts in the past to poaching,
land grabbing, agriculture and developmental activities
today, our dry scrub forests and grasslands are now
dramatically shrinking along with the number of its
animal residents. The majority of dry, arid habitats in
India have been transformed owing to the growth of
agriculture, irrigation plans and industry.

Fragmented and reduced to a fraction of what it was, the
ecosystem remains preserved in only isolated pockets like
the Desert National Park in Rajasthan. The most
critically endangered species here is the Great Indian
Bustard. At 15 kgs, it is not only one of the largest and
heaviest flying birds but also now one of the rarest in
the world. When the term �critically endangered� is used
to describe a species, it means the survival of the
species is at it�s tipping point with extinction being
the next step.

In the 19th century, flocks of more than 30 birds were a
common sight, but by 1969 the population had dwindled to
about 1,260 across the western half of India. Poaching
and habitat destruction sent the GIB�s population
spiralling down, with only 600 birds recorded in 2001.
Today, the most optimistic estimate is less than 200
individuals in India. The largest global population is in
Rajasthan with only about a 100 birds spread across the
Desert National Park in Jaisalmer, and Barmer, and along
the cultivated and grassland areas around Bikaner.

The GIB is also considered to be an �indicator� species �
the health of which signifies the health of the
ecosystem. The rapid decline of the habitat and the
bustard population finally triggered action with the
Union Ministry of Environment and Forests preparing a
species recovery programme in 2012. Today, it would be
safe to assume that the GIB is one of India�s most
endangered species. This is a sad situation for a bird
that was once in the race to become the national bird of
India and is the State bird of Rajasthan.

Rajasthan�s Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and Forest and
Environment Minister Bina Kak have moved forward with a
vision, and are leading the way for other GIB States to
follow. A Rs 12.9 crore �Project Great Indian Bustard�
has been announced and a five-year plan has been mapped.
The Forest Minister is taking the initiative beyond
Rajasthan by collaborating with non-Government
organisations to ensure the success of the project. By
gathering local as well as international support, the
Government aims to approach conservation on a holistic
level so as to concern itself with bustard populations
not only within India but in eastern Pakistan as well.

It is assumed that the population in western Rajasthan
and Kutch are shared with the Cholistan desert and Sindh
in Pakistan, where reportedly over a four year period
poaching has claimed 49 out of 63 birds. Historically
hunted as a game bird, the GIB, given its present
population strength and unmonitored habitat, will not be
able to recover from constant poaching unless a serious
and determined plan is put into action.

The bustards, during their breeding season, exhibit
�lekking� behaviour, wherein the normally solitary male
bustards gather in groups to challenge one another and
attract females. This is a potentially perilous time not
only due to the threat of poachers but also because the
bustard, as a sensitive species, has been known to
abandon nests and breeding areas if there is human
disturbance. With this in mind, the Forest Department of
Gujarat has issued a warning to photographers and
threatened legal action against anyone entering and
disturbing the breeding and nesting areas in Kutch�s
Naliya grasslands. Rajasthan too is on alert and keeping
a close watch on breeding areas.

Experts have also recommended that since the bustards
breed in a specific and restricted area, it would be
possible to create disturbance-free and predator-free
safe zones where breeding and nesting may continue
without any risks. Feral dogs, cats, jackals and foxes
have been known to cause damage. A fenced and protected
area for the GIB, which usually lays only one egg, will
go a long way in increasing the survival rate of the
fledglings and reviving areas which were previously prime
habitat for the bustard.

The Rajasthan Government is ready for action and has
approved the� creation of protected and fenced
enclosures, habitat conservation, creation of water
resources and an anti-poaching force as well. The work
may have only just begun but already there is a lot of
support and public goodwill for the project. Signature
campaigns and online petitions are requesting more action
and suggesting measures.

The latest update on the threatened bird species
worldwide is now at 1,253, which is almost 13 per cent of
the bird species that exist today. Certain species have
remained on the threatened list for decades, with some
slowly fading as well. If the Great Indian Bustard were
to be lost forever, what would be sad is not just the
fact that the grasslands of India would be a little
emptier but that we would have lost an opportunity to
play out our responsibility and give back to the planet.

Perhaps if we do succeed in saving our most endangered
bird there would be hope for other species and a story to
tell and a path to follow. With so much at stake and
swinging priorities, it might be a good time for all of
us to� consider if it is us sharing our space with other
species or are they sharing their space with us?

(The writer is a wildlife film-maker)

More at:

http://www.dailypioneer.com/columnists/oped/a-second-chance-at-survival.html

Jai Maharaj, Jyotishi
Om Shanti

http://groups.google.com/group/alt.fan.jai-maharaj

o o o

o Not for commercial use. Solely to be fairly used
for the educational purposes of research and open
discussion. The contents of this post may not have been
authored by, and do not necessarily represent the opinion
of the poster. The contents are protected by copyright
law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

o If you send private e-mail to me, it will likely
not be read, considered or answered if it does not
contain your full legal name, current e-mail and postal
addresses, and live-voice telephone number.

o Posted for information and discussion. Views
expressed by others are not necessarily those of the
poster who may or may not have read the article.
FAIR USE NOTICE: This article may contain copyrighted
material the use of which may or may not have been
specifically authorized by the copyright owner. This
material is being made available in efforts to advance
the understanding of environmental, political, human
rights, economic, democratic, scientific, social, and
cultural, etc., issues. It is believed that this
constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material
as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law.
In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the
material on this site is distributed without profit to
those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving
the included information for research, comment,
discussion and educational purposes by subscribing to
USENET newsgroups or visiting web sites. For more
information go to:
http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml

If you wish to use copyrighted material from this article
for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you
must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

Since newsgroup posts are being removed by forgery by one
or more net terrorists, this post may be reposted several
times.