Six Sarus Cranes Sent to Tram Chim National Park Through Extraordinary Conservation Partnership
CONTACT: Jodi Legge, Vice President of External Affairs, 608-356-9462 ext. 120
Vietnam – April 18, 2025 – Six juvenile Sarus Cranes will soon have a new home at Tram Chim National Park in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta. The International Crane Foundation helped facilitate the conservation effort to restore the species in the region, supporting Vietnam’s Sarus Crane Conservation Program and the subsequent 10-year cooperation agreement between Vietnam and Thailand. This will mark the first transfer of young cranes between the two countries.
The three males and three females were reared at the Nakhon Ratchasima Zoo in Thailand. On April 10, they were successfully transferred to the Saigon Zoo in Vietnam by road and by air. The birds have been quarantined for 10 days and will soon be transferred to their new home in the wild at Tram Chim National Park.
Once home to more than 1,000 Sarus Cranes, Tram Chim has seen their population plummet in recent years, and in some cases no Sarus Cranes returned to the area at all. Sarus Cranes are rare and endangered and are considered a symbolic species for the Dong Thap region. Conservation efforts are required to ensure a thriving population and this program is designed to establish a resident population in the Mekong Delta.
The collaboration between the International Crane Foundation, the Dong Thap Authorities, the Zoological Park of Thailand, the Vietnam Zoos Association, and the Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens will focus on four components in Vietnam: reintroduction of Sarus Cranes from Thailand, restoring wetlands and crane habitats in the core zone, developing sustainable wildlife-friendly rice cultivation areas in the buffer zone, and conducting an educational program.
The six cranes will be transferred to Tram Chim this weekend and a small ceremony will be held to celebrate their arrival. The International Crane Foundation was asked by Dong Thap Province to name one of the six cranes.
“We are honored to have this opportunity, and we chose the name “TC”—for our esteemed friend Ngo Quoc Thang,” said Dr. Tran Triet, International Crane Foundation’s Southeast Asia Program Director. “TC is the smallest among the six cranes and is sometimes harassed by the other cranes. We gave him the name as we know he is small, but mighty, just like Thang.”
The late Mr. Ngo Quoc Thang was the former vice director of Tram Chim National Park, who worked tirelessly for the conservation of wetlands and cranes during the early years of Tram Chim. “TC” also stands for “Tram Chim.” the national park’s name.
Top Photo: Dr. Tran Triet/International Crane Foundation
