Conservation of Buddha's Crane

In Nepal the tallest bird of flight stands over the farmland which was the birthplace of Prince Siddharta Gautama, also known as Shakyamuni Buddha. Standing approximately 155cm tall, the Sarus crane lives in India where it is the only resident breeding crane, the decimated but still accounted for population in Cambodia, Vietnam, and Laos, as well as a population in northwest Australia. Although it has been estimated that over 20,000 cranes once lived in its ancestral range in Nepal, currently 200-500 cranes are estimated to live there now. Sarus crane breeding territories are unknown and breeding habitat requirements not yet fully understood.

Nepal is where this crane has earned the biggest fame as conservation seems to be taking the tenets of Buddhism in Lumbini to protect Nepal's remaining population of Sarus cranes in the Lumbini Crane Sanctuary. The sanctuary was established in 1994 and covers 120 ha of land, but still there are conflicts between cranes and humans due to farming, foraging, hunting, and nesting.

The Sarus cranes eat the cereals, potatoes, peas, and fruits of the local farmers, while the farmers use poisons and pesticides in order to gain the most crop from a small plot of land. The cranes also eat frogs, reptiles, eggs, and a variety of invertebrates which is beneficial to the crop, but its portion from the farmer's toil has brought it into direct conflict with humans. It has been reported that cranes who eat crops with pesticides lose their appetite, become disoriented, and then die a day or two later from poisoning.

Although it may seem innocent enough, these endangered birds are sometimes taken in as pets and therefore dependant on humans and removed from the ever-lessening gene pool. There are reports that eggs and chicks are also removed for the international pet trade. The natural causes of egg and chick loss is predation, although this is done by an increasing crow population and feral dogs.

There is a legend that the cranes were a point of contention between the Buddha and his brother as he tried to dissuade his brother from hunting the cranes. This legend has led to the focus of modern day conservation with a cultural twist. Local religious and cultural beliefs have protected the species, especially in northern India, Nepal's western Terai, and Vietnam. It is with this knowledge that the objectives of the Lumbini Crane Sanctuary have been established.

The sanctuary has four objectives: restore and recreate the natural diversity and habitats of Nepalese Terai, create an education center and garden demonstrating Buddha's love for nature as shown through his teachings and the relevance of them in today's world, involve local people in the management and conservation of the territory and surrounding areas, and to create a model of non-governmental approaches to conversation in areas intensively used by humans.

The creation of an education center will bring information to visitors about the sanctuary and its cranes as well as promote awareness through interactive displays, classes, and audio-visual presentations. It will be based on the Wheel of Life philosophy of Buddhism, so the public awareness campaign will feature a Sarus Crane Wheel of Conversation. Attached to the center will be a sleeping quarters for guests and a semi-captive crane enclosure for public display. The dormitory will be offered to researchers and pilgrims for reasonable rates to help the center be self-sustainable.

The kindness and compassion of the locals, traits that the Buddha was known for, is hoped will help the crane survive on the edge of extinction.