INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
TEHRAN-- Omid, the last survivor of the Siberian cranes in Iran, along with its brand-new companion, Roya, left Fereydunknar International
Wetland in Mazandaran province for Siberia on Sunday.After passing over the skies of Mazandaran, Gilan, and Ardebil provinces, the two
Siberian cranes will fly to Azerbaijan, IRNA quoted Hassan Akbari, an official with the Department of Environment, as saying.In the Persian
language, Omid and Roya suggest Hope and Dream, respectively.After losing his couple Arezoo (significance Wish in Persian), Omid came every
year to the Fereydunknar International Wetland for wintering.Considering that Omid is the last survivor of the western population of
Siberian cranes, the Department of Environment decided to get a young female Siberian crane from the Cracid - & Crane Breeding and
Conservation Center (CBCC) in Belgium.Environmental experts hope that Omid and Roya can conquer this difficult situation, away from possible
threats, and go back to Iran next year.According to the International Crane Foundation site, this critically threatened types is now just
discovered in one primary population in East Asia, with a few birds remaining in the historical Western/Central population.The Eastern
population types in northeastern Siberia and winter seasons at Poyang Lake in the Lower Yangtze River Basin in China
In the Western/Central population, a single crane [Omid] continues to winter along the south coast of the Caspian Sea in Iran
This population is reproduced simply south of the Ob River in Russia.With a height of 140 centimeters and a weight of 6 kilograms, there are
just 3,600 to 4,000 cranes left in the world
The Eastern population is stable, however the Western/Central population is practically extirpated.Adult cranes have red skin on the
forehead, face, and sides of the head, white plumage with black wingtips, and reddish-pink legs while juvenile cranes have a plumage mix of
white and cinnamon-brown feathers and tan head.The earliest recorded crane was a Siberian Crane named Wolf, who died at the age of 83
Wolf is in the Guinness Book of World Records.Habitat loss, particularly due to changing hydrology triggered by water diversions and
conversion of wetlands, unlawful take consisting of hunting, trapping and poisoning, pollution, and environmental contamination is
threatening this endangered species.MG
