Great Indian Bustard gets alone time to breed

AHMEDABAD: The Naliya grasslands, habitat of the Great Indian Bustard, are off-limits for visitors from April to October. This is to allow the birds some alone-time so they can breed in peace.

The state forest department has restricted movement of people in the grasslands between April and October. The ban came to be when foresters found that some people - especially some photographers - were getting too close for comfort and disturbing the breeding birds.

Deputy conservator of forests P A Vihol, Kutch West division, said that the ministry of environment and forests recently issued guidelines under the Great Indian Bustard Recovery Programme.

Vihol said that the guidelines state that "unethical photography during the breeding season often acts as a source of disturbance to the bustard. Incidents of such photography have been reported from Naliya grasslands. Due to the lack of legislative enforcement and protective measures in core breeding areas, such direct threats to the Great Indian Bustard population continue unrestricted."

Vihol said, "In order to reduce such direct threats to this critically endangered, Schedule-I species in the Naliya grasslands, particularly during their breeding season, we are issuing a caution note to overenthusiastic and unethical photographers to restrict movement near sanctuary areas, breeding and nesting grounds."

He further said that a similar caution note issued last year produced encouraging results. "We can now see baby bustards moving about the area. This has also resulted in increased sightings. Any person found disturbing the bird during breeding or nesting shall be prosecuted under the Wildlife Protection Act 1972," said Vihol.

Officials said that earlier, with no caution note in force, people would walk up close to the birds.

A senior officer said that it was also observed that some grassland areas were ploughed during the monsoon and post-monsoon to plant better species of grass. Such activities are a great disturbance to nests, eggs or chicks of the Great Indian Bustard. He said the department will also curb these activities.