Four Sarus cranes have been spotted at the Tram Chim National Park on March 7 after a two-year absence.
Vice director of the Tram Chim National Park Preservation Department, Doan Van Nhanh, spoke to Dantri/Dtinews on Friday morning that four Sarus cranes had been seen at the park at noon on March 7.
"They were seen walking around looking for food for about 30 minutes before flying away," Nhanh said. "We're very happy to see them back here while we're restoring the ecosystem which is part of the project to protect and develop cranes."
Nhanh added that they've ensured proper food supplies to attract the cranes, while also preventing local people from hunting activities inside the park.
Located in the Mekong Delta Province of Dong Thap, Tram Chim National Park, which has been recognised as the country’s fourth and the world’s 2,000th Ramsar site, covers over 7,300 hectares and is home to over 230 types of waterfowl including 32 endangered bird species like Sarus cranes, 130 freshwater fish species and 130 higher plant breeds.
The park used to receive some 1,000 Sarus cranes during winter in the 1980s but the number has dramatically fallen in recent years. No cranes have been seen at the park since 2021.
Dong Thap authorities have approved spending nearly VND 185 billion (USD7.59 million) to lure back the Sarus cranes to Tram Chim National Park.
The 10-year project has been divided into two stages.
In the first stage from 2022-2028, Tram Chim will receive 30 six-month-old Sarus cranes from Thailand, which are expected to breed after five years.
During the second stage from 2029-2032, the park will continue to receive another batch of 30 cranes from Thailand. They want to increase the number of birds to 100 during this stage.
