Celebrity crane goes walkabout in Taipei
Print Edition
A rare crane that became a celebrity in Taiwan after getting lost on its journey from Siberia last year had to be rescued once again after a misguided foray into a subway station.
The white bird has been living in wetlands in northern Taiwan since last December, after taking a wrong turn on a migratory route from Siberia to China’s mainland.
Separated from its flock, locals welcomed the young Siberian crane — the farmer who owns the wetlands where the bird now lives has stopped using pesticides to ensure it can eat untainted food. It even has a security guard during daylight hours to protect it from stray dogs.
But on Thursday night, wanderlust gripped the bird once more — taking it at least 30 kilometers away to Songshan railway station in the north of the capital Taipei.
Commuters were stunned when the tall, elegant bird landed outside the station and stayed there, seemingly unafraid of the crowds.
It was pictured standing on the street as two officials looked on.
After an emergency call to animal rescuers, it is now in a temporary shelter.
“It is not immediately clear why the crane left the sanctuary after staying there a whole year, surviving three typhoons,” said conservationist Liao Jen-hui, who has been called in to deal with the bird’s protection.
Liao said the crane had exhibited an unusually sociable streak after landing at the busy interchange station.
“Such birds are sensitive to people and would normally be watched from at least 200 meters away,” she said.
Experts from Taipei Zoo are checking the bird’s health before the next step is decided.
The year-old male bird has become a tourist attraction, with fans traveling to the northern Jinshan district to see it before it flew to Taipei.
The Siberian crane population has fallen to about 4,000, Liao said, due to hunting along their migration routes and habitat destruction.
The birds migrate annually from Siberia to China in winter, then fly back to Siberia when the weather warms.
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