Exclusive: Rare Black Necked Cranes Spotted At 14,000 Feet In Ladakh

The endangered Black Necked Crane was sighted by NDTV high in the Himalayan wetlands at Hanle in Ladakh at about 4,500 meters (14,800 feet) altitude. The Black Necked Crane is a protected and threatened species and is a unique migratory bird which breeds in the Himalayas. 

Black Necked Cranes is the state bird of the Union Territory of Ladakh.  They breed high in the Himalayan wetlands and the biggest threat to them is feral or free-ranging dogs. The Buddhists venerate Black Necked Cranes and their paintings can be seen in Buddhist monasteries. 

These birds have an approximate height of 135 centimetres and a wing span of 62-64 centimetres, they are usually seen in pairs with chicks or small groups feeding in the wetlands of the River Indus in Ladakh. The grey-coloured body is topped with a black neck and has a red patch above the eye. They pair for life and usually rear 1-2 chicks a year. 

According to the World Wide Fund for India, they form lifelong pairs, and breeding pairs return to the same nesting sites every year. They make a loud trumpeting sound.' 

In India, very small populations can be found in Ladakh, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh and globally they have been sighted in Bhutan, China and Nepal. As per the survey conducted by the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun in 2016-2017 in the Ladakh region, the population size of Black Necked Crane was around 66-69 birds. In Arunachal Pradesh, a small population of approximately 11 arrives during winter.

Dr Kishor Rithe, Director, Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), Mumbai, speaking to NDTV said, "BNHS is monitoring the Black Necked Crane population at Nyoma, Yaya Tsi, Tsokar and Puga in Ladakh. Though the threat from free-ranging dogs (feral dogs) is serious at all these places, some pairs at Nyoma, Yaya Tso, Tsokar and Puga survived well. The intensity of free-ranging dog threat was very high this year at all wetlands."

Mr Sajad Hussain, Chief Conservator of Forests, Ladakh, Leh said: "Feral dogs are a menace and most of these thrive on the food waste generated by the large detachments of security forces posted along the Line of Actual Control with China, the armed forces are being sensitized but it is not easy." 

He added the Indian armed forces were active in protecting the Black Necked Cranes by deploying guards to protect the nesting sites. Mr Hussain said the locals live hand-to-mouth and prefer not wasting food. 

The Black Necked Cranes breeding sites are protected under the Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary. India accords the highest level of protection as a Schedule 1 animal under the Wildlife Protection Act. Interestingly, the same sanctuary also offers a worthy home to the Indian Astronomical Observatory which houses the two-meter class Himalayan Chandra Telescope and is a globally renowned site for astronomy and astrophysics. 

In its assessment, the Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata said "Unorganized development activities, fencing around wetlands and increasing population of feral dogs are the major threats.' 

The local population in the Changthang region of Ladakh is mostly Buddhists who revere the Black Necked Crane which forms part of paintings on old monasteries.