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Study Reveals Alarming Decline in GIB Refuge Areas
17 Aug
Summary
- Great Indian Bustard habitat reduced to 6.6% of Deccan landscape.
- Study identified 16 priority conservation areas covering 18,000 sq km.
- Population dropped from 200-390 birds to fewer than eight in some areas.
A 2026 study indicates that suitable habitat for the critically endangered Great Indian Bustard (GIB) now spans only 48,000 sq km, representing 6.6% of the Deccan landscape. This research identified 16 priority conservation areas totaling about 18,000 sq km, with 11 in Maharashtra and five distributed across Telangana, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh.
The study highlights that the GIB population in the Deccan region has plummeted from an estimated 200-390 birds in 1989 to a mere 66-75 in 2008. By 2017, fewer than eight birds were recorded in Maharashtra, and by 2024, no GIBs were found at Andhra Pradesh's Rollapadu Wildlife Sanctuary.
Major threats identified include the conversion of grasslands and fallows, increased cotton and sugarcane cultivation, powerlines, roads, railways, pesticide use, overgrazing, and feral dogs. The study advocates for preserving human-used grassland-farmland mosaics alongside captive breeding and reintroduction efforts.
