India has released its first captive-bred Great Indian Bustards into the wild. Two male birds were set free at Sam in the Desert National Park near Jaisalmer on October 4.

Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav oversaw the release during Wildlife Week 2026. Officials called it the result of nearly a decade of work by scientists and ground staff.

The Great Indian Bustard is critically endangered. Its wild population has crashed from about 1,400 in the early 1970s to roughly 110 to 150 today, with Rajasthan's desert the last stronghold.

A recovery programme launched in 2016 has bred 98 birds from wild eggs collected since 2019. Centres at Sam and Ramdevra now house 97 birds. Eleven have been earmarked for release.

The released birds carry transmitters that send location alerts three times a day. Power-line collisions remain the biggest threat, as the heavy birds have poor frontal vision. Officials say lessons from this pilot will guide future releases.