Bhutanese experts join hands to save Black-Necked crane

Bhutanese environment experts join hands with experts from India to save the fast declining Black-Necked cranes, the bird regarded as the cultural identity of the Himalayan ecosystem.

In a two-day Indo- Bhutan workshop on the species in Arunachal Pradesh, India recently, experts from both countries stressed on need for joint conservation measures in the region.

The workshop was organised by WWF-India in collaboration with the state’s forest department.

The experts recommended joint conservation of the species by India and Bhutan at the landscape level, site-specific conservation measures to be taken by the respective national government under the regional black-neck crane conservation framework and regional-level policy and advocacy for the protection of the species.

There were also calls for strong community-based conservation in black-necked crane habitats and regular monitoring with the experts saying that the species should be promoted as a cultural symbol of the Himalayan region.

The experts deliberated on a range of issues, including the current status of the species at all the key crane habitats in India and Bhutan.

“There is a need to enhance the understanding of the impact of anthropogenic pressures and climate change on black- necked crane habitats and populations in the Indo-Bhutan region,” observed Tshering Phuntsho from the Royal Society for the Protection of Nature (RSPN) of Bhutan.

The total global population of the species is estimated to be about 11,000 and it is listed as a globally ‘Vulnerable’ species by IUCN.