Great Indian Bustard — at a glance
Status: Critically Endangered
Estimated wild population: ~150
Key threats:
Habitat loss and land-use change
Collisions with power lines
Predators such as feral dogs
Human disturbance
Why it matters:
Among the heaviest flying birds in the world
Indicator species for healthy grassland ecosystems
Conservation efforts:
Captive breeding programmes
Artificial insemination and genetic support
Egg transport and assisted incubation
Planned “soft release” into the wild
Bottom line:
A rare hatch offers hope — but survival in the wild remains the biggest test
A species on the brink
A Senior Associate Editor with more than 30 years in the media, Stephen N.R. curates, edits and publishes impactful stories for Gulf News — both in print and online — focusing on Middle East politics, student issues and explainers on global topics.
Stephen has spent most of his career in journalism, working behind the scenes — shaping headlines, editing copy and putting together newspaper pages with precision.
For the past many years, he has brought that same dedication to the Gulf News digital team, where he curates stories, crafts explainers and helps keep both the web and print editions sharp and engaging.