This season’s first GIB chick sighted in Jaisalmer
To the excitement of bird lovers, Great Indian Bustard (GIB -- known locally as Godawan) chick was sighted near Sudasari enclosure of Desert National Park in Jaisalmer district. It is the first time this breeding season that a GIB chick has been spotted in the area.
A large bird with an ostrichlike appearance, the Great Indian Bustard (GIB) has a horizontal body and long bare legs. Among the heaviest of flying birds, they have been considered critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list of threatened species due to multiple threats, including loss and degradation of habitat, hunting, and direct disturbance.
Members of Godawan community volunteers team spotted the Great Indian Bustard chick on Sunday and informed forest officials. “We received information from the Research Group’s members in this regard, which is being verified,” chief wildlife warden, GV Reddy, said.
The Godawan (Community) Conservation Project is a volunteer-based project where many local youths were added and sensitized to keep a eye on the movement of Great Indian Bustard in Western Rajasthan and also keep on checking any illegal activities in the Thar desert. The project is supported by Ecology
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and Rural Development Society under the leadership of Dr. Mamta Rawat and mentored by Dr Sumit Dookia. More than 50 volunteers are in the network and the information is shared with top authorities of the state forest department as well as the authorities at the Desert National Park (DNP).
“For the effective conservation of breeding ground of Godawan, the forest department has created a series of predator proof enclosures between 2013-2018. After the enhancement of network of enclosures, regular breeding has been taking place with chicks being spotted,” Dr Dookia said.
In view of breeding, no outsider is allowed in the enclosures during this time of the year, he added.