Only 30 Black-Necked cranes left in India

[Mrudul Godbole]

Read this news in CNN-IBN site, some shocking update..

Only 30 Black-Necked cranes left in India
Juhi Chaudhary , CNN-IBN
Posted on May 01, 2011 at 05:20pm IST

New Delhi: The Black Necked Crane found only in the high altitude wetlands of China, Tibet, Bhutan and India, is fighting for its survival today in India. A latest survey shows that a viable population of a mere 15 breeding pairs are left in the country and that too is restricted to Ladakh.
Pankaj Chandan, manger, High altitude wetland programme, WWF said, "Its of great conservation significance. We are trying to use this species in the habitat where the mighty rivers like Indus, etc originate..."
Following the survey, environmentalists have rung the alarm bells.

"The major threat to these birds are dogs. Dogs kept by ITP camps, army camps, as they eat the chicks of these birds," added Pankaj Chandan.
Like the Sarus, Black Necked Cranes too are said to pair for life. They breed in high altitudes and during winter migrate to warmer feeding grounds. This makes them highly vulnerable to global warming.
Wildlife conservationists from Ladakh were recently in Delhi to urge the Environment Ministry to put the Black Necked Crane under the species recovery programme. This could be one small but crucial step to ensure that India continues to be the home for this magnificent species.

Link -http://ibnlive.in.com/news/only-30-blacknecked-cranes-left-in-india/150931-3.html

[Abhishek Jamalabad]

The menace of feral dogs seems only to be increasing. They have already played a considerable role in bringing down the Sarus Crane population in Bharatpur by feeding on the chicks and eggs, besides hunting down large mammals, which in many cases even go uneaten after being killed.