Jaisalmer, March 26 -- Two more chicks of the critically endangered Great Indian Bustard (Godawan) have been born at the Ramdevra-Sudasari conservation centre in Rajasthan's Jaisalmer, officials said. Forest officials said that one chick was born through natural breeding, while the other was produced using advanced artificial insemination technology, underlining the growing role of science in conservation. Deputy conservator of forest (Desert National Park) BM Gupta termed the development encouraging for the long-term survival of the species. With these births, a total of five chicks have hatched at the centre this month alone, indicating steady progress in the carefully managed breeding programme. The latest chicks are from breeding pairs 'Phoenix-Lio' and 'Aman-Sem', reflecting the success of structured scientific pairing and monitoring. The numbers, though still small, are critical for a species that faces an extremely low reproduction rate-typically laying just one egg per year with high mortality risks. The total population at the conservation facility has now risen to 72 birds. Once found widely across India, the Great Indian Bustard has seen a dramatic decline and now survives in a fraction of its original habitat in the Thar desert. According to recent estimates by the Wildlife Institute of India in collaboration with the Rajasthan Forest Department, the wild population stands at around 130 birds, with nearly half now under captive protection. The ongoing Bustard Recovery Programme, launched in 2016 as a joint initiative of the state government, the Union environment ministry and the International Fund for Houbara Conservation, has focused on habitat protection, scientific breeding and monitoring. Officials point out that past efforts have begun yielding results. From egg collection and artificial incubation to improved chick survival, the programme is gradually strengthening the fragile population base of the species....