Ladakh is celebrating the first-ever Black-necked Crane festival to highlight the importance of its conservation and the role of Ladakh Union Territory in conserving the habitat of this endangered species, as Changthang Cold Wildlife Sanctuary in Ladakh is the only breeding place in the country.

 

Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh V K Saxena inaugurated the three-day long festival yesterday and it will conclude tomorrow. The festival, which is a first ever initiative over the recent years, is considered significant to provide a platform for conservationists, researchers and experts from different parts of the country and abroad to raise awareness about this threatened species.

 

Out of the fifteen species of Crane in the world,  Black -Necked Crane is the only Alpine Crane in the world and Tsokar, Hanle and other wetlands situated at the elevation of 2500 to 5000 m above the sea level in Changthang Cold Wildlife Sanctuary , Ladakh are the only breeding places of India. There are only 16,000 black necked cranes distributed in Eastern Ladakh in India, Bhutan, Nepal and China.

 

Recognising its ecological, religious and cultural significance, after the formation of Ladakh as a Union Territory Black Necked officially declared as State Bird. Earlier, it was also the state bird of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir. Black -Necked Crane is considered a sacred bird in Ladakh and its arrival for  breeding in Summer season is considered as good omen  and peace symbol in the region.