BHOPAL: Madhya Pradesh forest department is all set to shift a few pairs of great Indian bustard from Desert National Park, Jaisalmer in Rajasthan as a fresh initiative to revive population of the critically endangered species. The birds have vanished from Madhya Pradesh.

The authorities concerned are, however, yet to decide upon a new site for its breeding, as Ghatigaon (Gwalior) and Karera (Shivpuri) sanctuaries in Madhya Pradesh that once had sizeable populations of the bird (Son Chiraiya) are awaiting de-notification.

The National Wildlife Board has already given its nod for de-notifying these sanctuaries, said sources. Meanwhile, the state forest department has identified alternative land in Damoh district in view of Supreme Court's precondition of declaring some new sanctuaries, said sources.

"We are trying to shift the birds from Jaisalmer and breed it here in a large enclosure. But it would be too early to comment," said Narendra Kumar, principal chief conservator of forest (PCCF) wildlife.

The Desert National Park will give us the birds, said the officer adding that a flock of 24 was recently spotted in the grasslands of Salkha area, 45 km from Jaisalmer district. Of them, 21 were males and three females. The area is situated outside the Desert National Park and the forest department, for security reasons, has set up a temporary check post. "We will get pairs from their enclosed areas," said the PCCF.

The 2011 red list of birds, released by International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), has enlisted the great Indian bustard in the 'critically endangered' category. In India, the bird is now restricted to Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Rajasthan where it is the state bird.

The birds lost out in MP to human greed for land, mining, and poaching besides neglect towards their habitat.

The Ghatigaon sanctuary, that then used to be a habitat of the bird, was converted much later in 1981, but unabated mining and poaching saw the end of this rare bird in the sanctuary. According to the forest officials there had been no sighting of the bird at Ghatigaon in the last nine years.