At least 160 endangered Eastern Sauras Cranes were recently discovered in Takeo province, where wildlife officials hope to create a preserve to protect the birds.
Wildlife officials spotted the cranes, of which there are an estimated 400 in Cambodia, in Takeo’s Borei Cholsar and Koh Andet districts in March, said Men Phymean, director of the Wildlife Protection Office in the Forestry Department of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.
The last sighting of the birds was in October 2000, when US and Cambodian researchers found 12 in Takeo.
The rare, red-headed Eastern Saurus Crane, 1.3 meters tall, was first found in Cambodia in 1998. Said to be the world’s highest-flying bird, the cranes are estimated to number only about 1,500 in the world.
The two districts where the most recent batch of cranes was seen contain a richly vegetated grassland area that Men Phymean said will be proposed as a preserve for the cranes.
On May 10, wildlife officials will hold a workshop in Takeo town to discuss conservation strategies from villagers and local authorities.
Takeo Governor Kep Chuk Tema said the area would be suitable for a crane preserve because it has not been farmed or used for dry-season rice cultivation.
The cranes already have a 100,000-hectare conservation area in Banteay Meanchey province.
