Experts are stunned by comeback of near-extinct animals: 'A wonderful feeling'
After years of steep population decline caused by hunting and habitat destruction, the Siberian crane was on the brink of extinction in 2015. There were just 3,500 Siberian cranes left in the wild. However, thanks to a decade-long conservation effort, the crane's eastern population has doubled.
The Siberian crane had eastern and western populations, but the latter has sadly disappeared. The sole remaining western Siberian crane, a male named Omid (Persian for "hope"), wasn't seen in his wintering grounds in Iran in 2023. Fortunately, the situation in the east is much more promising.
"It is a wonderful feeling to have this critically endangered species thriving with such a strong comeback from near extinction," Rich Beilfuss, president and CEO of the International Crane Foundation, told Mongabay.
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The International Crane Foundation, Disney's Conservation Fund, and organizations in China and Russia collaborated to develop projects to protect the Siberian crane and its habitat. Educating and raising awareness were important aspects of the work, as were efforts to preserve the wetlands connecting the bird's wintering and breeding grounds, which are over 5,000 miles apart. Poyang Lake, the largest freshwater lake in China, is a vital winter haven for hundreds of species of migratory birds.
The project's success underlines the importance of international cooperation and a long-term approach to conservation. Biodiversity is critical to maintaining a healthy ecosystem, and local, community-led efforts are crucial to this effort.
The International Crane Foundation is not resting on its laurels; the work to protect the Siberian crane has now entered a new stage.
As Mahendra Shrestha, the International Crane Foundation's vice president of Asia programs, explained, "We will continue to work with all partners to take active actions in breeding, staging, and wintering areas to jointly safeguard the health of the Siberian Crane population and the stability and safety of their migration routes."
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