No Great India Bustard sighted in Nagpur division

NAGPUR: The Nagpur division drew a blank during the annual estimation exercise for critically endangered Great India Bustard (GIB) conducted for three days from July 11-13. Not a single bird was sighted.

The census that lacked spark from field staff was conducted half-heartedly by the forest ranges including Butibori, South Umred, Ramtek and Seminary Hills. Though there is a presence of GIB in Umred tehsil, the last GOB sighted during the exercise was in 2009 in Mahalgaon.

The census in Warora in Chandrapur will be conducted from July 16-17. On Sunday, the last day of census, veteran GIB conservationist Gopal Thosar, Dr Anil Pimlapure and bird watcher Avinash Londhe were seen moving in Umred villages. "We went to 11 villages where the bird's presence is reported," said Thosar.

Thosar said ahead of the exercise, two GIBs were sighted by Mohan Dole in the farm of Dashrath Dadmal in Dhaparla. The pair was sighted two days ago in Taka. As the staff do not interact with villagers they hardly know about GIBs.