Birds 03 - The Great Indian Bustard (Gib) Poem by Unnikrishnan Sivasankara Menon

The most critically endangered species of birds,
you will find it mentioned in 'IUCN Red data list'.
Just one hundred and fifty of the GIBs are left alive
in the whole world, most of them in India, protected
in the Desert National Park, Jaisalmer, Rajasthan.
They do not recognise the international borders
and cross over to Cholistan Desert in Pakistan
where they lack protection, are hunted without mercy
albeit being an endangered species.

Omnivorous, GIB feeds on insects
beetles, particularly Mylabris species
are their preferred diet, they also eat
grass seeds, berries, rodents and reptiles.
Thus they played a significant role
in controlling insects, rodents, reptiles
and weeds that are harmful to crops.

GIBs, once abundant all over India
were hunted indiscriminately
for their delicious flesh, as
Mughal Emperor Babur noted
that the flesh of every part
of the Kharchal* is delicious.
The emperors, rulers, the rich noble men
and the English gentry took pride
in making their dinner tables richer
with dishes of GIB flesh, rendering them
on the verge of extinction.
Loss of natural habitat to agriculture
industrialisation and power generation
added to their dwindling population.

Now protected in the Desert National Park,
attempt is made to breed them in captivity
in the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun
but, with limited success.

Let us hope, generations
a century later will still
be able to see them,
The Great Indian Bustard.



*Kharchal is the Indian name for the Great Indian Bustard.