Rajkot: The forest department has moved a proposal urging the state government to implement the Wildlife Institute of India’s (WII) suggestions on saving the endangered bustard family bird - lesser florican.Lesser floricans are seen in grasslands of Velavadar Blackbuck National Park where they come for breeding during monsoon. The latest census that concluded on August 11 revealed there were 90 birds near the national park, almost same as last year.The forest department conducted the two-day census with the marine science department students of Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University. They could find only 40 male birds inside the park and five outside, as floricans are highly sensitive and shy. It is extremely difficult to spot the females.A survey published last year by WII had made several recommendations for the florican’s conservation. These included convincing farmers not to use pesticides, changing crop pattern and prohibiting cattle grazing in the breeding area of this birds.Head of marine science department, Indra Gadhvi, said, “The drastic spread of gando baval has caused severe depletion in grassland, which is the main habitat of these birds. The changed crop pattern has also adversely impacted. Farmers are growing cash crops like cotton instead of pearl millet and wheat. Floricans are shy and they can’t these hide behind cotton plants.Assistant conservator of forest (ACF), Velavadar national park, M H Trivedi said, “We have forwarded a proposal to the government to implement some of the suggestion from next year. If we encourage farmers to change their crop pattern, we have to compensate their loss for joining this activity.”A similar experiment was carried out an NGO Corbett Foundation in Kutch to save the Great Indian Bustard (GIB).Devesh Gadhvi, a member of International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) said, “Velavadar has a golden opportunity to save lesser floricans. We are already late in saving GIB but we still have time for this bird. We can create captive breeding centre and do artificial breeding.”“We should survey the farmland near the national park area and create a conducive environment for farmers who would voluntarily take up organic farming for the sake of saving this bird. Floricans hide behind the trees and feed on insects around the grassland.

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