A baby Great Indian Bustard has hatched in India thanks to artificial insemination, a significant breakthrough that raises hopes of saving the critically endangered bird. The number of the desert-dwelling, metre-tall birds has plummeted dramatically in the past 25 years, with only around 150 believed to remain in the wild.

But for the first time last week a bustard chick hatched as a result of artificial insemination, aided by scientists from the Wildlife Institute of India, according to the New Indian Express outlet. The mother bustard, dubbed Tony, laid an egg at a breeding centre in Rajasthan on September 24, and a healthy chick emerged on October 16, the Thursday report said.

The state’s deputy chief minister Diya Kumari said the event was a “historic step” in efforts to save the species from the brink of extinction.

The Great Indian Bustard is a locally revered species in Rajasthan, a state bordering Pakistan which is home to the expansive Thar Desert. But human development has had a significant impact on their habitat and population.

India’s Supreme Court ordered power lines to be put underground in key bird breeding zones because bustards were being killed after flying into high-tension wires. But the government petitioned the decision and had it successfully overturned, arguing it would hinder renewable energy targets.—AFP