As regular CFZ-watchers will know, for some time Corinna has been doing a column for Animals & Men and a regular segment on On The Track... particularly about out-of-place birds and rare vagrants. There seem to be more and more bird stories from all over the world hitting the news these days so, to make room for them all - and to give them all equal and worthy coverage - she has set up this new blog to cover all things feathery and Fortean.

Wednesday, 26 March 2014

GIB conservation plan caught in red-tapism

Jaipur/Jaisalmer: The state bird conservation plan is caught up in bureaucratic red-tapism. The ministry of environment & forest (MoEF) recently wrote to the state government for its consent on ex situ captive breeding programme for the critically endangered Great Indian Bustard (GIB).

According to official sources in the forest department, "The file is still under consideration. The Union ministry has put a clause that if Rajasthan agrees to ex-situ captive breeding programme, the state would have to contribute 50% of the expenses or else they would take the project to Maharashtra or Gujarat. Since this would need to be processed with several departments including finance, the matter is likely to take shape only after the elections."

On the flip side Gujarat and Maharashtra are keen to set up a conservation breeding project if Rajasthan would loan birds to it, which was found unacceptable to Jaipur based foresters. "The GIB has been pushed to a 'near extinction' status as per science. GIB's captive breeding programme is need of the hour. Dr. Vibhu Prakash's example of breeding vultures in captivity at Pinjore is already available, globally supported and can be adopted here," said Harsh Vardhan who has been championing the cause of the bird since 1980.




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