Great Indian Bustard : In News
Radheshyam Pemani Bishnoi, a 28-year-old wildlife conservationist from Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, died in a road accident while on an anti-poaching patrol. He was a flag bearer in the GIB Community Conservation Programme.
- The Great Indian Bustard (Ardeotis nigriceps) is a large terrestrial bird endemic to the Indian subcontinent.
- The bird is primarily found in dry grasslands and scrublands, which are rapidly declining due to agricultural expansion and development.
- Its core population (~100 individuals) survives in the Thar Desert, mainly in Jaisalmer and Barmer districts of Rajasthan.
- The total population is critically low, estimated to be around 100–150 individuals across India.
- Conservation Status
- IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered
- Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule I species (highest level of protection under Indian law)
- CITES: Appendix I, indicating it is threatened with extinction and international trade is strictly regulated.
