Great Indian Bustard conservation efforts struggle as numbers dwindle to 2 in Karnataka

Despite the Karnataka government's efforts to protect the endangered Great Indian Bustard (GIB) by establishing a sanctuary in Siruguppa, Ballari district, the bird’s population continues to decline. Once abundant in the region, only two GIBs remain in Karnataka, down from six earlier this year.

In 2023, the state government declared a 14-square-kilometre area of forest in Siraguppa taluk, Ballari district, as a GIB sanctuary. The Karnataka Mining Environment Restoration Corporation (KMERC) committed to a special conservation project to protect the GIB population in the state and allocated Rs 24 crore to restore the population across 24 villages where these birds have been sighted.

The GIB population has been rapidly declining due to habitat loss across several states. The species is now perilously close to extinction, with fewer than 150 individuals remaining in the wild since 2018, most of which are located in Rajasthan. The GIB is classified as ‘Critically Endangered’ on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List.

While GIB numbers are dwindling, the species was once abundant in the region. The state’s grasslands offer a suitable environment for the birds to thrive — provided efforts are made to conserve these grasslands and restrict activities such as tree planting and construction.

A five-member committee overseeing the breeding centre project visited the GIB breeding centre at Rajasthan's Desert National Park to better understand the requirements of such a facility, stated Arun SK, the wildlife warden of Ballari. Experts from Dehradun are expected to collaborate with the Karnataka forest department on this initiative.

According to wildlife enthusiasts, only two GIBs — one male and one female — are have been seen recently in the Siraguppa sanctuary.

The disappearance of GIBs has prompted forest department officials to take emergency action, including geo-tagging the birds, artificially incubating eggs, reintroducing young birds to the wild, raising awareness among local communities, and establishing a research centre in Ballari district.

Forest department's Ballari division has sought approval from the state government to GPS-tag the two GIBs recently sighted in Siruguppa and its surrounding areas. Additionally, CCTV cameras have been installed to continuously monitor the birds’ movements along the Karnataka-Andhra Pradesh border.

Ballari Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF) Sandeep Suryavamshi noted that geo-tagging is an effective way to monitor the GIBs’ movements, though the department is still discussing its implementation. While Siraguppa is not an official sanctuary, the forest department protects the 14 sq km area because it hosts GIBs. Trenches have also been dug around the area to prevent cattle intrusion, and it’s suggested that the birds may have migrated to the Rollapadu Wildlife Sanctuary, 100 km away.

Currently, Karnataka’s GIB population is the smallest in India, restricted to Siruguppa. According to Ballari Range Forest Officer Girish Kumar, five to six GIBs were seen five months ago, but now only two remain due to climate-related migration, with hopes they will return.

The state government has allocated Rs 6 crore to build a research centre in Siruguppa and explore GPS-tagging and artificial breeding. Local communities, farmers, and schoolchildren have been involved to raise awareness, significantly reducing poaching.

The Karnataka Forest Department plans to acquire 1,000 hectares for afforestation under Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority and will fence the area to reduce human-wildlife interaction. While Karnataka's current GIB population is insufficient to establish a captive founder population, there is potential to reintroduce captive-bred birds from Rajasthan if grassland habitats are secured.

Wildlife conservationist Joseph Hoover stressed the importance of restoring grasslands, using GPS tags, and strengthening legal frameworks to combat poaching. Collaboration with experts, non-profit organisations and research institutions, along with ongoing research into GIB ecology, could help recover the bird population.