In this image posted on March 13, 2026, Project Great Indian Bustard entered into the fourth year of its captive breeding with two new chicks hatched at the Conservation Breeding Centre of Rajasthan, one from natural mating and the other from artificial insemination, taking the tally of birds in captivity to 70. (@byadavbjp/X via PTI Photo) A Great Indian Bustard chick has been hatched in Gujarat’s Kutch region for the first time in a decade using a conservation technique known as the “jumpstart” approach, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said Saturday. “Gujarat sees a GIB chick after a decade, through a novel conservation measure — the jumpstart approach, coordinated by the Ministry, State Forest Departments of Rajasthan and Gujarat, and Wildlife Institute of India,” Yadav said in a post on X. Officials said the method was adopted because only three female bustards remain in Kutch, with no males left in the wild to produce fertile eggs. Under the initiative, a fertile egg from a conservation breeding center in Rajasthan was transported over about 770 kilometers by road to Gujarat. The journey, which took more than 19 hours, was carried out in a portable incubator through a specially arranged halt-free corridor from Sam in Rajasthan to Naliya in Gujarat. The egg was then placed in the nest of a wild female bustard that had earlier laid an infertile egg. The female continued incubation and successfully hatched the chick on March 26. Field teams are now monitoring the chick, which is being raised in its natural habitat by the foster mother. Officials described it as the country’s first successful inter-state “jumpstart” effort for the species. The environment ministry said conservation breeding efforts are also expanding. The number of birds at breeding centers in Sam and Ramdevra in Rajasthan has reached 73, with five new chicks added during the current season. Yadav said the program marks progress toward the long-term goal of reintroducing the critically endangered bird into the wild. The Great Indian Bustard, once widespread across India’s grasslands, is now among the most threatened bird species in the world, with its population reduced to a few dozen individuals due to habitat loss and other pressures. For the Latest news, India News and breaking stories from around the world, visit Times Now for live coverage and in-depth reporting. Arpita Ghosh (She/Her) is an Assistant Editor at Times Now Digital, with over eight years of experience in digital journalism. She has worked across v... View More