Wild Cranes Are Back After 400 Years of Extinction

nightqueen

Mar 2, 2021 3:38 PM EST

In an incredible story of conservation efforts, wild cranes have established themselves as part of the British wetlands again - after being extinct for 400 years. It could give us hope for bringing back other extinct species.

01

via Daily Mail

Talk about a comeback. The common crane has been extinct in the United Kingdom for 400 years, after hunters became a little too enthusiastic in their efforts and new buildings destroyed wetlands.
02

via Apsari

Before then, cranes were a common sight in the UK, and many town names with the prefix "cran" reference the giant birds (like Cranfield in Bedfordshire).
03

via Gaga Daily

Cranes are the UK's largest bird, standing at 4 feet tall. They're known for their elaborate singing and dancing routines, which fall nothing short of amazing to watch.
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via Bridgewater Mercury

Cranes weren't seen in Britain since 1600, until three wild cranes turned up to the Norfolk Islands in 1979. Conservationists monitored the birds closely and in 1982, the first crane was born in the UK in 400 years.
05

via The Guardian

Since the 1970s, attempts to raise the crane population have been steady, but slow, as the birds are not quick to breed.
06

via Bird Guides

As of 2020, there were 64 recorded breeding pairs of cranes, and 23 crane chicks, across the UK. Estimates suggest that there will be 275 breeding pairs within the next 50 years.
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via The Guardian

While these numbers seem insignificant compared to the number of other wildlife in the UK, the fact that these birds came back from extinction is nothing short of a miracle.
08

via BBC

So next time you're in the UK and you happen to see a 4 foot tall crane flying past, consider yourself lucky! You just witnessed a conservation miracle.