# Great Indian Bustard Rewilding Progress

> Four captive-bred great Indian bustards released in Rajasthan, one died from predation, but experts say rewilding timeline could be met in eight years.
- Title: Great Indian Bustard Rewilding Progress · Scroll | Shortify
- Summary: Four captive-bred great Indian bustards released in Rajasthan, one died from predation, but experts say rewilding timeline could be met in eight years.
- Keywords: great indian bustard, desert national park, wildlife institute of india, rewilding, predation, jaisalmer, saurabh sawant, sutirtha dutta, sumit dookia, india, Scroll
- Source: Scroll — https://scroll.in/article/1096933/two-losses-this-year-but-experts-optimistic-about-great-indian-bustard-rewilding-initiative
- Author: Arathi Menon
- Published: 2026-11-12T14:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: great indian bustard, desert national park, wildlife institute of india, rewilding, predation, jaisalmer, saurabh sawant, sutirtha dutta, sumit dookia, india, news, politics
## First Release
Four captive-bred great indian bustards released into desert national park in rajasthan.
## First Death
One bird found dead on october 17, apparently predated by a desert fox.
## Scientist on Survival
Sutirtha dutta says survival rates for captive-bred bustards are 80% versus 18% in the wild.
## Chick Hatching
A chick hatched in kutch, gujarat in march after egg transported from jaisalmer.
## Chick Disappearance
Chick went missing in april after forest officials searched for it.
## Jumpstart Approach
Project uses eggs from rajasthan to incubate wild female bustards in gujarat.
## Critics Question Transparency
Wildlife biologist sumit dookia says authorities lack transparency about the program.
## Predation Concerns
Dookia questions how foxes entered predator-proof enclosures and safeguards for released birds.
## Fox Management
Dutta says fox translocation improves hatching success for wild bustard eggs.
## Key takeaway

Experts remain optimistic about rewilding great Indian bustards despite one death in October, with survival rates at 80% in captivity versus 18% in the wild.