Away from hostile borders, bustards find home in Ajmer

Two days after Pakistan launched drones and missiles targeting various locations in India — most were brought down by India's air defence system — India moved some precious cargo from Jaisalmer, around 10km from the Pakistan border, to Ajmer, roughly 500km to the east.

- Mukesh Mathrani

BARMER: On May 9, two days after Pakistan launched drones and missiles targeting various locations in India — most were brought down by India's air defence system — India moved some precious cargo from Jaisalmer, around 10km from the Pakistan border, to Ajmer, roughly 500km to the east.

The live cargo, nine Great Indian Bustard (Ardeotis nigriceps) chicks, were moved in special vehicles to a centre that may now be the second captive breeding centre of a species that has been reduced to a few hundred individuals.

Captive breeding — 25 chicks were hatched from captive breeding efforts in the past year alone — has emerged as a possible way to combat (or at least defer), the imminent extinction of the species, and in the wake of the drone attacks, the Rajasthan forest department decided to provide a second home to captive bred GIBs in Ajmer, moving some from the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) run captive bred centre in Jaisalmer.

Senior scientist at the Wildlife Institute, Sutirtha Dutta, said the GIB chicks were shifted to Ajmer on May 8 for "security" reasons. "As the Ramdevra Centre is located near the border, and in light of the tense situation and massive drone activity, the relocation was necessary to ensure the birds' safety and protection."