<
https://news.mongabay.com/2024/06/nepal-launches-new-plan-to-boost-critically-endangered-bengal-florican/>
"KATHMANDU — Nepal’s government has launched a new action plan for the
conservation of the critically endangered Bengal florican, a bird whose
population is declining amid mounting challenges across its range in the Indian
subcontinent.
The 10-year plan proposes for the first time conservation in captivity of the
Bengal florican, also known as the Bengal bustard (
Houbaropsis bengalensis),
such as in zoos or nurseries, in a bid to build up and restore a viable
population of the bird. The plan also calls for expanding its habitat and
gaining a better understanding of its ecology to reduce threats.
“We came up with the action plan following several rounds of discussion,” said
Mohan Bikram Shrestha, a co-author of the action plan and senior researcher
with the NGO Bird Conservation Nepal. He added the highlight of the action plan
is its focus on raising awareness about the importance of conserving the
species in those parts of its range that fall outside protected areas.
The duck-sized bustard, best known for the male’s signature mating display of
flapping its wings and throwing itself into the air as though jumping on a
trampoline, can be found in the Terai grasslands of southern Nepal and northern
India from early spring until the monsoon sets in around June or July. After
that, they’re difficult to trace. Another distinct population is found in
Cambodia’s seasonally flooded Tonle Sap region.
According to estimates by the IUCN, the global wildlife conservation authority,
the bird’s population may have declined rapidly over the last three
generations, with each generation lasting for around 10 years. It’s considered
possibly extinct in Bangladesh, and its status remains uncertain in Vietnam.
The total global population is estimated at fewer than 1,000 mature
individuals, with fewer than 100 in Nepal.
“Although we haven’t given a concrete proposal on how to carry out ex-situ
conservation, it could look something like the program in place for critically
endangered vultures,” Shrestha said of the conservation action plan. Under its
captive-breeding program from 2008-2022, Chitwan National Park in Nepal raised
18 chicks of various vulture species and released them into the wild to
supplement the wild population."
Via
Fix the News:
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https://fixthenews.com/good-news-capital-punishment-mental-health-rwanda-pollution-europe/>
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
