A project on satellite telemetry ofDemoiselleCranes and Common Cranes was launched on Saturday by the Sasan-Gir forest department to understand its Migration pattern, habitat preferences, dispersal, as well as foraging ECOLOGY.
While the two crane species are enlisted as least concerned in Red List, they are protected underSchedule IVof Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. The project aims to prepare a suggestive plan of action for long-term conservation of cranes inGujarat.
According to a statement it released, the forest department said it had tagged selected birds under this project but prior to the tagging, the team carried out a thorough, in-depth survey. They then captured two birds each of the two species with the help of skilled and experienced trappers and set them free after tagging them with solar-powered leg-band type GSM-GPS transmitters.
Three out of 15 species of cranes found globally are seen in Gujarat. Though they are under the Least Concern category, the global Population of Demoiselle Crane (Anthropoidesvirgo) and Common Crane (Grus grus) are estimated to be between 2,30,000 2,61,000 and 4,91,000 5,03,000 individuals, respectively.