In late August, a dedicated wildlife monitoring team from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS Cambodia) in Mondulkiri province made a remarkable discovery – locating another rare sarus crane nest, in which two newborn birds had been safely hatched.

Sharing the encouraging news on September 4, WCS Cambodia announced that this marked the second such discovery since 2020.

The previous nest was identified in the biodiversity important and protected Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary, which straddles the border of Mondulkiri and Kratie provinces.

“Examining the nest and eggshells confirmed that two newborn sarus cranes had safely hatched and left the nest,” WCS Cambodia said.

The sarus crane (Antigone antigone) is currently listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.

These venerated birds face a multitude of threats, including from poisoning, deforestation, and land clearance, all of which have serious consequences for their habitat, food sources, and breeding areas.

“Sarus cranes are the tallest birds on Earth, with adults reaching heights of 1.7 metres and weighing 5-12kg.

“They breed during the rainy season, from May to October, usually in large wetland grasslands within wildlife sanctuaries in Cambodia,” WCS Cambodia said.