New Delhi, 13 March (H.S.): The Great Indian Bustard (GIB) Captive Breeding Programme marked a major milestone with the hatching of two new chicks at Rajasthan's Conservation Breeding Centre, elevating the captive population to 70 birds in its fourth year.

Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Bhupendra Yadav congratulated the Rajasthan Forest Department on X, sharing images of the newborns.

One chick hatched via natural mating, the other through artificial insemination—key successes under PM Narendra Modi's eco-sensitive leadership, positioning India on track for conservation triumphs.Yadav hailed it as pivotal for the critically endangered species, Rajasthan's state bird and one of the world's heaviest flying birds, primarily inhabiting the Thar Desert with sparse presence in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh.

Some captive chicks will soon undergo soft release into the wild, heralding a fresh conservation phase.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar