Jun 26, 2006 :: Better luck for Lesser Florican

The Lesser Florican [Kharmor in Hindi], a bird facing extinction, has been given a break by an innovative scheme of the Madhya Pradesh government. When special sanctuaries established in 1983 did not yield any hope, they thought of involving farmers with cash incentives.

In 2004, a prize of Rs 5,000 was announced for each farmer who reports the whereabouts of a bird and protects its egg. From zero, then 9 the current score has gone up to 23. All for a cost of a mere Rs 1,50,000. Grasslands may see the birds again. Full story.