Nguyen Van Lam, director of Tram Chim National Park, stated the flock includes two males and four females, weighing 5,3-6,7 kg. Nakhon Ratchasima Zoo currently houses them. Four Thai experts will monitor the birds' health during transport and their initial adaptation to the new environment.

Preparations for receiving the cranes have been ongoing for months. The young crane enclosure is complete; staff tilled and dried the grassy soil for about one month to ensure proper ventilation.

Staff at Tram Chim National Park care for a breeding pair of cranes. Photo: National Park provided

The Dong Thap Provincial People's Committee requested Customs Sub-Department Area II and Tan Son Nhat International Airport to assist with swift customs clearance. A specialized air-conditioned vehicle will access the cargo area at the airport, pick up the cranes, and transport them directly to Tram Chim.

At the national park, the birds will undergo quarantine and health checks before joining the existing flock. This marks the first time Tram Chim has directly implemented this process since the International Zoo Association recognized it as a member.

This is the second batch of arrivals under Dong Thap's sarus crane conservation project. Five individuals brought back in 4/2025 are developing well, weighing 5,4-7,2 kg each, and staff have paired them. Experts anticipate it will take more than one year for them to produce their first offspring. The province expects to receive another batch of cranes this year.

The project aims for Dong Thap to raise and release 100 sarus cranes over 10 years, with Thailand transferring 60. The province hopes at least half of the released birds will survive, reproduce, and form wild flocks.

Ngoc Tai