Rare bird at risk as farms encroach

VietNamNet Bridge – The decline of the Sarus crane, the tallest flying bird in the world, is causing concern for conservationists.

Sarus cranes at Dong Thap Province's Tam Nong
Natural Conservation
 Centre. A decline in the bird's
 population has conservationists concerned about its survival.

Less than 2,000 members of the Indochinese subspecies are left in Cambodia, extreme southern Laos, Myanmar and southern Viet Nam.

Every November, the birds migrate to Tram Chim National Park in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta's Dong Thap Province. In 1998, about 1,100 Sarus cranes arrived in the national park.

But in recent years, that number has dwindled to approximately 200, said Nguyen Van Hung, director of the national park.

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