Urgent need to step up breeding of Great Bustard
Safeguard Iran’s biodiversity
The deputy of Natural Environment and Biodiversity at Iran’s Department of Environment, during a visit to the Great Bustard breeding site at the Sootav and Hamamian Wildlife Refuge in West Azerbaijan, shed light on the development of operational plans aimed at protecting and reviving this valuable species over various timeframes. He stated, “With the cooperation of national, provincial, and local agencies, we must draw up and roll out clear scientific and executive programs to restore the Great Bustard population in this region.”
During the visit, attention was drawn to promising developments at the site in recent months. Notably, the successful breeding of three Great Bustard chicks in captivity — an unprecedented achievement in the country — marks a major step forward in efforts to conserve and boost the numbers of this critically endangered species. This success was brought about by the dedicated specialist team on site, in close collaboration with Shahid Beheshti University, which, in a commendable move, has taken on part of the ex-situ breeding process.
Deputy Zohrabi described this as a successful experience and a model that could catch on in other parts of the country. He expressed hope that, in the future, by creating the right conditions, subsequent generations of this species could also be released into their natural habitat.
The Great Bustard is considered one of the world’s unique and highly significant animal species. In recent years, due to shrinking natural habitats, excessive hunting, and disturbances in its breeding and nesting grounds, it has been pushed to the brink of extinction. As a result, it is now listed on the Red List of Threatened Species of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Environmental experts say this species plays a key role in keeping up genetic and ecosystem diversity. A decline or loss of such species could throw a wrench into natural cycles and chip away at biodiversity.
Iran’s Department of Environment is striving to put in place initiatives such as the National Great Bustard Action Plan to help shore up the population of this vital species.
The article first appeared in
Persian on IRIB news agency.