Avian guardian: Story of the injured crane 'Zhuang Zhuang'

Every autumn and winter, millions of migratory birds begin their long and spectacular migration. During the process, the birds not only need to endure harsh weather conditions, but also face various survival challenges such as food scarcity and threats from predators.

China is one of the most crucial destinations for global migratory birds. Researches indicate that billions of migratory birds follow nine major international migration routes, four of these routes run through China. Some of these birds stay in China throughout winter, while many others are "temporary visitors", taking brief periods of rest before continuing their migration southwards to regions such as Southeast Asia and Oceania.

In March 2022, a red-crowned crane, an endangered species of crane, fell into the sea in Qinhuangdao City of Hebei Province in north China, during its migration due to illness and physical exhaustion, putting its life in jeopardy. Fortunately, it was promptly rescued.

Wang Wei, a veterinarian from a local bird rescue center said, "When the crane arrived, its physical condition was particularly poor, indicating a state of hypothermia. The normal body temperature for a red-crowned crane is around 40 degrees Celsius, but its temperature dropped below 37 degrees Celsius, which is extremely dangerous for birds. Prolonged hypothermia can lead to insufficient blood supply to the brain and organs, posing a life-threatening situation."

After a series of examinations, Wang Wei discovered that this red-crowned crane was suffering from a severe parasitic infection, which was the primary cause of its physical weakness. Combined with the challenges of long-distance migration and inadequate food supply, these factors ultimately led to its fall into the sea. Due to its weakened condition, Wang Wei named it "Zhuang Zhuang",which means "strong" in Chinese, in the hope that it would gain strength and vitality.

Wang said, "we caught small fish from the wetlands nearby and fed 'Zhuang Zhuang' every day. Gradually, it adapted to the environment, and its physical condition started to recover slowly."

A few days ago, after over a year of rehabilitation and wilderness adaptation training, the healthy red-crowned crane was released in Qinhuangdao.