Jaisalmer: A team of officials from Karnataka, including some from the state’s forest department, conducted a three-day study of the conservation and breeding centres for Great Indian Bustard (GIB) birds in Jaisalmer district as the southern state is set to undertake conservation efforts for this endangered species. The Karnataka government has allotted Rs 25 crore for a breeding centre for GIBs to be set up with the help of Wildlife Institute of India (WII), which would be the second such facility in the country after Rajasthan. It is known that there are six GIB birds in Karnataka’s Bellary, though the number was put at 15 some time ago. WII chief scientist and Sudasari breeding centre coordinator Dr Suthirto Dutta said the team from Karnataka visited the GIB conservation and breeding centres at Sudasari and Ramdevra in Desert National Park (DNP). Officials of Rajasthan’s forest department, WII’s scientists and Project GIB team members accompanied them. The team, which comprised Bellary DCF Sandip Suryawanshi, Bellary ACF Faiz and conservationists Dr Arun, Dr Samad Kottur and Dr Manohar, returned on Friday. “The visiting Karnataka team was apprised of the incubation, chick rearing and captive bird husbandry activities being implemented by WII’s scientific team. Karnataka has a small population of GIBs, and the state’s forest department has initiated some significant conservation efforts recently by buying land under compensatory schemes and restoring them at Siruguppa, where the last six GIBs of the state are sighted. Karnataka government is about to start a dedicated Project GIB soon,” said Dr Datta. Dr Arun SK said around Rs 25 crore has been sanctioned for GIB conservation in Karnataka. “The forest department in Karnataka has around 300 acres of forest land in GIB habitat in Ballari district. The department is actively working to buy more land, at least 1,000 hectares, from farmers.,” he added.
