Jaipur, March 13 -- India's conservation efforts for the critically endangered Great Indian Bustard have reached a significant milestone with the hatching of two new chicks at the Conservation Breeding Centre in Rajasthan this week.

The development takes the captive population of the species to 70 birds for the first time since the launch of the breeding programme.

Announcing the update on Friday, Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Bhupender Yadav described the moment as a proud achievement under Project Great Indian Bustard (GIB), which has now entered the fourth year of its captive breeding initiative.

According to the ministry, the two chicks hatched through different methods, one through natural mating and the ot...