A scheme on reviving the great bustard, a rare bird species inhabiting West Azarbaijan Province, has recently been approved and will soon be implemented with a budget of five billion rials ($0.11 million).
Besides the funds, a patrolling vehicle and a motorcycle will be provided to two park rangers assigned to protect the habitats of the threatened bustard, DOE's website reported.
The plan that was earlier proposed by the provincial Department of Environment is part of efforts to improve the conditions of the bird's natural habitats, according to Hamid Zohrabi, a deputy at the provincial DOE.
"Providing a safe haven for the bird plus prohibition of any agricultural activity especially in egg-laying season and increasing protection facilities are among the measures envisaged by the scheme," he said.
The provincial DOE also plans to establish a research center focused on the rare bird species and raise public awareness on how to protect the animal.
Great bustard, a bird in the bustard family, breeds in open grassland and farmland in southern and central Europe, and across temperate Asia. It is classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as "vulnerable".
As of 2008, the global population numbered between 44,000 to 51,000 birds, of which between 4,200 and 4,500 were found in East Asia.
Reportedly, in Iran, the bird used to be seen in Hamedan, Kermanshah, West and East Azarbaijan provinces and parts of North Khorasan. But unfortunately, more lately, its population is only limited to parts of West Azarbaijan and Kurdestan.
