Arijit Swaminathan
8 – E
BLUE CRANE
The Blue Crane (Grus paradisea), also known as the Stanley crane and the paradise crane, is the national bird of South Africa. The species is listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature). While it remains common in parts of its historic range, and approx. 26 000 individuals remain, it began a sudden population decline from around 1980 and is now classified as vulnerable. In the last two decades, the blue crane has largely disappeared from the Eastern Cape, Lesotho, and Swaziland. The population in the northern Free State, Limpopo, North West Province has declined by up to 90%. The majority of the remaining population is in eastern and southern South Africa, with a small and separate population in the Etosha Pan of northern Namibia. Occasionally, isolated breeding pairs are found in five neighbouring countries. The primary causes of the sudden decline of the blue crane are human population growth, the conversion of grasslands into commercial tree plantations, and poisoning: deliberate or accidental. Action Plan for Conservation of Blue Crane
1. There should be a campaign arranged in order to spread awareness about the decline of blue crane.
2. We should tell the government to implement a conservation plan for the blue crane
3. There should be a ceremony or a function to pay respect to the blue crane as it is the (National Bird of South Africa)
4. They should not be poisoned directly or indirectly.
5. As the human population is growing due to which people are converting the lands into buildings. The blue cranes are having problems to live. So, in order to let them live, before any construction the government and builders should see if there is any animal suffering due to the construction and then only the permission should be granted.
6. And the most important point is people should understand the blue crane’s behavior and needs accordingly and then provide it a suitable and happy environment.