Gujarat Great Indian Bustard chick born March 26 feared dead
A rare Great Indian Bustard chick, born in Gujarat's Kutch district on March 26 as part of a big conservation push, has gone missing and is feared dead.
This was the first successful birth in Gujarat using a fertile egg from Rajasthan in a decade.
Even with around 50 people watching out for threats like stray dogs and foxes, the chick's disappearance shows just how tough it is to protect these critically endangered birds.
Setback for Gujarat egg swap breeding
Losing this chick is a setback for new breeding methods that swap infertile wild eggs with fertile ones from captivity, a big deal since Gujarat only has three wild female GIBs left, and none can lay fertile eggs.
With just about 150 GIBs surviving in the wild (mostly in Rajasthan), hunting, habitat loss, and collisions with energy transmission lines are major threats.
Conservation teams now plan to try again after monsoon season, hoping future chicks will have better luck.