Satellites to help keep track of endangered staircase

PTI

AHMEDABAD

The great Indian Bustard, an endangered bird in the world, will soon be tracked by satellite from the Wildlife Institute of India to understand the movement of this rare species and its preferred habitat.

The initiative is considered an important step in to save the dwindling population of the bird which often falls prey to hunters and is affected by the loss of habitat (dry grasslands), usually in some of the Indian States like Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh.

"The WII, is given permission for setting a governmentrun, the satellite-based vessel monitoring system of the great Indian Bustard" C N Pandey, principal Chief conservator of forest wildlife in the west Indian State of Gujarat, said.

"Satellite tracking will help researchers understand the movement of this bird, which is now largely in the Kutch region of Gujarat, peninsulas and parts of Rajasthan is found," he said.

The great Indian Bustard, belongs to one of the largest flying bird species found in the world today. It can be easily distinguished by the black Crown on the forehead contrasts with the pale neck and head.

"The coastal grasslands of Abdasa Kutch district in Gujarat and Mandi talukas support some of its population.

The other shrine with the species in Kutch, Naliya peninsulas "said an official of the Department of the forest of Gujarat.

The International Union for conservation of nature (IUCN) Redlist recognized it as critically endangered in 2011.

The portal of the IUCN, the world's largest global environmental organization, States that the kind of total population was estimated at 300 in 2008, which shows that there is probably less than 250 adult ones remaining.

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