Saigon Zoo to host 6 ‘vulnerable’ sarus cranes from Thailand

The cranes will be flown to Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City, then transferred to Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens, and finally taken to Tram Chim National Park, located about 150 km away, once they are stable.

This effort is part of a conservation project for the sarus crane at Tram Chim National Park from 2022 to 2032.

The project aims to restore and increase the crane population, classified as 'Vulnerable' on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, through breeding and reintroduction into the wild.

Between 2024 and 2028, the park plans to receive 30 six-month-old cranes from Thailand for breeding and release.

From 2028 to 2032, Dong Thap Province hopes to continue breeding and reintroducing the species.

By 2032, the goal is to release 100 cranes, with at least 50 capable of reproducing in the wild.

Tram Chim National Park, located in Dong Thap’s Tam Nong District, is recognized as Vietnam’s fourth Ramsar site, an important international wetland conservation area under the Ramsar Convention, and the 2,000th globally.

According to park officials, seven sarus cranes were spotted at the park in late 2024, marking the first confirmed return of the species to the area.