The appearance of the critically endangered Siberian white cranes last month has caused quite a stir in Yunxi, a small village in Jinhua City, central Zhejiang Province.

On December 9, 2021, two rare birds with pure white plumage and black primaries showed up on the farmland of Yunxi Village. They were later identified as the Siberian white crane or the snow crane, with only about 3,200 to 4,000 birds of the species left on the planet. 

For the past month, local government and villagers have taken care of the birds by "keeping their distance." The forest police set up notice boards near the birds' foraging spot to remind bird lovers to watch them from a safe distance. The local people also leave some corn on the ground for the birds.

(All images via CFP)

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