Brno, July 1 (CTK) – The zoo in Brno participates in the saving of rare red-crowned cranes (Grus Japanese) living in the Far East, in the Amur area in Russia and in China, birds curator Petr Suvorov, from the Brno zoo, told CTK Wednesday.
The zoo sent two crane eggs to a Russian breeding station where a young hatched from one of them, Suvorov said.
Red-crowned cranes are listed among endangered species.
The bird is considered a symbol of good luck and fidelity in Asia.
This species is one of the largest cranes. Adult birds are about 150 cm tall, weighing from seven to 10.5 kilos, while the heaviest male weighed 15 kilos.
They have white feathers with some black parts and a red crown on the top of their heads.
The crane population has decreased since their natural biotopes, wetlands, are being damaged in China that is a winter habitat of red-crowned cranes from the Far East. Their total population in China is put at 500 birds.
There is a crane breeding station in Russia, 400 km west of Khabarovsk near Arkhara. It has been trying to improve natural conditions of red-crowned cranes for ten years. It cooperates wit other zoos to return the birds into the wild.
The two crane eggs from the Brno zoo were flown in an incubator to Khabarovsk. Then Suvorov gave them to his colleagues at the station near Arkhara.
A young hatched only from one egg. As soon as the bird becomes strong, it will be released into the wild.
The situation of red-crowned cranes in Japan is better than in Russia and China.
“The Japanese are enthusiastic ornithologists, they protect cranes, and this is why there are around 2000 of them in Japan,” Suvorov added.
