Overview
- Two captive‑bred male Great Indian Bustards were soft‑released at Sam in Desert National Park, Jaisalmer, in a government‑led operation that took place on Sunday, October 4, 2026.
- The release is the first operational step in a decade‑long recovery programme run by the Union environment ministry, the Rajasthan forest department and the Wildlife Institute of India.
- Rajasthan’s breeding centres at Sam and Ramdevra now hold about 97 bustards, of which 11 have been earmarked for release and 86 are being retained for further captive reproduction.
- Birds were prepared in a purpose‑built pillar‑less rewilding aviary at Ramdevra funded at Rs 9.25 crore and will be tracked under scientific monitoring to gather data on survival, movement and behaviour.
- Officials say further releases will depend on Wildlife Institute of India assessments and progress on habitat measures such as grassland restoration and measures to reduce power‑line collisions under Supreme Court priority‑area guidelines.