Nine Godawans or Great Indian Bustards were spotted together in the wild on the “Godawan Day”, observed to promote the conservation of the critically-endangered species, at Jaisalmer’s Desert National Park (DNP) on Thursday.The Great Indian Bustard is Rajasthan’s state bird.Forest department officials said the group included five female and four male Great Indian Bustards. Wildlife experts called the sighting a significant success for conservation efforts, as the shy bird is rarely seen in such numbers together.The rare sighting took place in the Sudasari region during the Rajasthan forest and environment minister Sanjay Sharma-led safari. Sharma unveiled special statues of Godawan to spread awareness about desert wildlife conservation at an event at the Sudasari Breeding Centre.Sharma, who reviewed the conservation and artificial breeding projects, said the Rajasthan government is fully committed to protecting the species from extinction. “There are 130 Godawans in the forests of Jaisalmer... 87 birds are being protected at the advanced breeding centre. The total Godawan population has increased to 217,” he said.Sharma said the government would strengthen natural habitat protection, egg safety measures, and breeding centre facilities to conserve the iconic bird of the Thar Desert.The Great Indian Bustard, Rajasthan’s state bird, is critically endangered, with only about 120-130 left in the wild, mainly in Jaisalmer and Barmer.Breeding centres at Ramdevra and Sudasari in Jaisalmer use artificial incubation and insemination to increase the population of the species.India’s first Great Indian Bustard chick was hatched through artificial insemination in October 2024 after the first successful artificial incubation hatch in 2022. By May 2026, the captive population of the species reached 87, including 27 produced through artificial insemination. Scientists are preparing young birds for release into the wild as part of efforts to rebuild the species’ population.