King of Grasslands

Appealing to save the endangered Great Indian Bustard,also known as Maldhok,a picturesque bird that rules the dry grasslands of Maharashtra,is Dr Pramod Patil,a bird enthusiast. Patil had recently called a press conference wherein he stressed on the importance of the bird from the point of view of a balanced ecosystem and thus the need to conserve the same for the protection of the environment.

“There are about 23 species of Bustards in the world and Maldhok is the most endangered amongst all of them. Bustards are estimated to be less than 500 in number the world over,of which about 300 are in Rajasthan,42 in Maharashtra and 30 to 40 in Rollapadu and surrounding areas,” says Patil.

Throwing light on the reason behind their declining numbers,Patil adds,“The Great Indian Bustard,once probably one of the most frequently found birds on the planet,made their home in the primary forests that were spread across thousands of acres of India. The number started declining due to the hunting that was a result of development of agriculture as well as urbanisation.

One of the heaviest species of birds to fly,Bustards are magnificent,over 90 cm tall,long-necked and long-legged birds belonging to the avian family of Otididae. The Great Indian Bustard Sanctuary at Solapur is the only sanctuary in India that has shown growth in the bird population while all others have recorded negative growth thus putting the bird in the extinction category. “This means that the present habitat and conditions in the Solapur sanctuary are perfect for the growth of the bird and should be retained at any cost,” says Patil.

Referring to the book published on Maldhok by Asad Rahmani,director of Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS),Patil says that the conservation of the bird has to be run on the lines of Project Tiger.

“Despite categorising the species as endangered,not many efforts are being taken to save the bird. The hunting and use of pesticides still continues in that region. It is the responsibility of the government to take all the necessary actions to save the bird. Else,the story of Great Indian Bustard is sure to have a sad ending and that too,quite soon if the rate at which they are diminishing continues,” he says before concluding.