Creating A Flutter

Creating a flutter

The number of Siberian cranes visiting Bharatpur has dropped drastically, worrying park authorities and local residents

THE erstwhile royal kingdom of Bharatpur, at the heart of the tourist triangle of Delhi, Agra and Jaipur, is pining for its most valuable visitors. The Siberian cranes, whose winter visits helped the town to make its name, are dwindling in number.

"Is saal bajut kim thaa (There were too few this year)," says Dalikut about the arrival of tourists as he furiously pedals the cycle rickshaw from the town towards the Keoladeo national park. Residents near the bird sanctuary agree glumly. many of them have converted their residences into guest houses.

"The cranes have dwindled in number over the past few years," says Gargi, a researcher from the Bombay Natural History Sociery. "Last year there were just five and this season only three came," Says Ram Lal who has observed the cranes for more than 30 years: "Earlier there used to be up to 200 cranes here, but now it seems they are simply not coming."

Ornighologists attribute a combination of factors for thedeclining numbers. Many birds embark on the annual pilgrimage from Russia, but few make it across the skies of Afghanistan and Pakistan where they are hunted down. Another reason is the habitat loss. "Changing ecology and climate at theri natural habitat has brought down the number," says Shruti Sharma, director of the Bharatpur bird sanctuary.

The breeding rate among the Siberian cranes is low; studies in Siberia have put it at just 20 per cent. Experts have been attempting artificial breeding: four Siberian cranes at Bharatpur have been bred in captivity. Extensive studies are being done on them, including fixing of radio transmitters to monitor their movement and activities.

Amit Roy, deputy law officer at WWF-India, says that the increasing forest cover too has affected the arrival of the cranes. "Ever since Bharatpur was declared a national park, there has been too much of forest growth and that has affected the water bodies." But says Sharma : "That doesn't affect the birds since they are primarily wetland habitants."

The local people worry about the future. "We wonder whether any cranes will come next year," says a resident. The park is host to a variety of birds-the common painted stork, the rare Egyptian Ibis and the Purple Heronfrom Tibet. But people in Bharatpur would prefer to crane their necks to spot one particualr wigned visitor.

Text : K. SUNIL THOMAS/Pics : P.MUSTAFA

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