The International Crane Foundation—a non-profit dedicated to conserving cranes and their habitats worldwide— has commended Nepal’s efforts in protecting sarus cranes (Grus antigone).

George Archibald, a renowned conservationist and co-founder of the foundation, said Nepal’s sarus crane conservation is exemplary in the world. During his recent visit in Nepal, Archibald expressed his admiration for the spontaneous initiatives taken by local people to conserve the bird in the Lumbini area.

“There are no big plans and programmes for sarus cranes conservation in Nepal. But the local people firmly believe that these birds should not be harmed or killed. I feel very happy to see the way sarus cranes have been conserved here,” said Archibald.

The sarus crane is the world’s tallest flying bird and is mostly found in the Indian subcontinent. The large non-migratory bird was enlisted in the IUCN red list of threatened species in 2,000 due to its declining population.

In 2023, with financial support from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the International Crane Foundation, the Nepal Zoological Society and the Central Department of Zoology at Tribhuvan University conducted a study on sarus cranes. The study shows that the bird number has risen from an estimated 350 in 2010 to over 700 in Nepal. The study was conducted in the districts of Rupandehi, Kapilvastu, Nawalparasi West, Banke and Kanchanpur.

Sarus is one of the nine bird species protected by the National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1973. There were an estimated 500 sarus cranes in the country in 2015.

Lumbini province is one of the sarus cranes’ major habitats in Nepal, and Tulsidihawa is an ideal spot for the birds to take sanctuary because of its numerous lakes and forest cover.

Conservationists and nature lovers are worried about the global decline in sarus crane population. They attribute this decline to habitat loss, land fragmentation, overexploitation, climate change, invasive species, environmental pollution, and uncontrolled construction activities.

Nepal, according to Archibald, can be a good example for the sarus crane conservation. After the study’s report came out in 2023, the WWF in Vietnam inquired about Nepal’s conservation efforts. A Vietnamese team visited Nepal and studied strategies for increasing the sarus crane population.

People in the Lumbini areas revere sarus cranes as a divine bird. According to Buddhist mythology, prince Siddhartha Gautam rescued and healed a sarus crane wounded by an arrow shot by his cousin Devadatta.

Lumbini Sanskritik Municipality, which is the birthplace of Buddha, declared sarus crane as its official bird in 2018. “This sends a clear message that every creature has an equal right to live on earth. It is a matter of pride for the people of Lumbini,” said Archibald.

According to conservationists, 15 different species of cranes are found in the world. Among them four crane species—sarus crane, common crane, Demoiselle crane and black-necked crane—are found in Nepal. The Tarai districts of Lumbini Province are their main habitat in the country.

According to conservationists, sarus cranes are indicators of healthy wetlands. “The birds are helpful for farmers as well as they prey on various insects like snails and grasshoppers that damage crops. Sarus cranes also alert people to the presence of leopards and tigers by crying out,” said ornithologist Rajendra Suwal.

Despite the thriving population, there still are several challenges to its conservation. Nepal has seen an increase in the number of the species’ death in recent years, according to conservationists.

Live electricity wires and stray dogs are major threats to sarus cranes. Cranes are often electrocuted when they come in contact with live electricity wires, and are vulnerable to attacks by stray dogs while foraging in the fields. As many as 50 sarus cranes have died due to electrocution in Nepal over the past 13 years.