Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
of a musk deer. A head lama declares hunting off-limits in a valley or on an entire mountain
range where a snow leopard roamed in search of blue sheep. A fascination with the practice
of this philosophy began to rival my interest in local ecology.
We headed west again, retracing our steps toward Thimpu, but then veered off the main road
to the evening's destination, the Phobjikha Valley. After a long day of highway driving, we
bumped along another twenty kilometers on a dirt track to reach the village's new guest-
house. Although road weary, we perked up after arriving in the wintering area of the black-
necked crane, widely revered in Bhutanese culture as a symbol of longevity. The protection
of this large migratory crane was what first drew attention to Bhutan among global conser-
vation circles. The marshlands preferred by the cranes could easily have been drained and
cultivated, as has happened in many other countries, but instead the Bhutanese government
preserved the wetlands as feeding areas for these spectacular giant birds. With just 5,000 to
6,000 individuals of the endangered black-necked species left, the nation's decision to pro-
tect this area was a conservation milestone.
Black-necked cranes (
Grus nigricollis
) performing a mating dance
Although many long-distance migrants are not considered rare, several of the fifteen crane
species have the misfortune of migrating over some of the most hostile terrain on Earth. Such
is the case with the western population of the highly endangered Siberian crane, which must
traverse areas where guns are prevalent and people are hungry. The birds are harassed and
