On Dec 26, a cold wave hit Dashanbao Nature Reverse of black-necked cranes in Yunnan’s Zhaotong. With the temperature dropping to minus 10 degrees, the reserve had become an ice world covered by 10cm-depth snow. 1,700 black-necked cranes, dubbed “pandas in birds,” were trapped by the heavy snow and could only forage nearby. They gathered in flocks, waiting for breeders to feed them, which formed an interesting and beautiful scene like a Chinese ink painting.

In recent years, the Administration and Protection Bureau of Dashanbao Nature Reserve in Zhaotong City stepped up the ecological restoration and protection management of the black-necked crane habitat and scaled up their food source bases. All these measures have substantially increased the population of black-headed cranes and the quality of their living environment. Especially during the snowy weather, the reserve increased the frequency of feeding to ensure Dashanbao a safe winter stopover for them. The number of black-necked cranes has increased year by year.

 Click here to view Chinese report

(Editors: Ines, Rachel)