BARMER, July 10 -- In a groundbreaking shift in conservation efforts, wildlife officials in Rajasthan have launched a new strategy to allow the Great Indian Bustard (Godawan) to hatch and grow in the wild, moving away from earlier practices of captive breeding at the Desert National Park (DNP) centre. The aim is to preserve the bird's natural behaviour and increase its chances of survival in its native habitat. Previously, Godawan eggs were routinely collected from enclosures and incubated at the breeding center, with chicks raised in captivity. However, this year marks the beginning of a transformative experiment: eggs laid in the wild are now temporarily collected for protection, then returned to their original nests shortly before hatching. The initiative has been taken following the Wild Life institute of India, which has allowed to use five eggs annually for the purpose. Brijmohan Gupta, deputy Conservator at Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), DNP confirmed the report. According to the officials, as part of this delicate process, when a Godawan lays an egg in the open desert, wildlife teams discreetly replace it with a gypsum-made dummy egg-identical in weight and appearance. The real egg is transported to the breeding center, where it is incubated under controlled conditions to protect it from predators and environmental threats. They further said, once the egg nears the hatching stage, it is carefully returned to the same wild nest, and the dummy egg is removed. This allows the chick to hatch in its natural surroundings and be raised by its mother, never entering captivity. This time-sensitive approach ensures the mother bird continues to incubate the nest without disruption. Since the dummy egg maintains the illusion of an undisturbed nest, the bird remains unaware of the switch. Upon return of the real egg, the natural rearing process resumes seamlessly. First trial underway in Ramdevra The DNP team, in collaboration with scientists at the breeding center, has initiated this new protocol with two eggs collected from the Ramdevra region. Both are currently undergoing incubation. Once ready, the eggs will be reintroduced to their natural nests to allow hatching in the wild. Conservationists are calling the initiative a game-changer in the effort to save the iconic bird....