India, Aug. 16 -- A new study in PLOS One finds that the critically endangered Great Indian Bustard could reclaim parts of the Deccan if traditional, low-intensity agriculture is revived.

Modelling shows only 6.6% of the 7,20,000 sq km landscape remains suitable, with 16 priority sites identified.

Researchers stress conserving fallow lands, mixed crops and grasslands to enable reintroduction and population recovery.

The critically endangered Great Indian Bustard (GIB) has vanished from most of the Indian Subcontinent, especially the Deccan Plateau. But it has a chance of making a comeback there, provided traditional agriculture and land use are resorted to, according to a new study.

The paper, titled In Search of Safe Havens: Identify...