Nguyen Van Lam, Director of Tram Chim National Park, said at a press briefing on May 26 that all procedures for the second transfer have been finalized, though the exact arrival date still depends on flight arrangements.

The second group includes six cranes around six months old, comprising two males and four females weighing between 5.3kg and 6.7kg each.

To prepare for the transfer, the park has disinfected and upgraded its quarantine area in line with recommendations from international experts. Conservation facilities at Tram Chim have also been expanded, including breeding enclosures, juvenile care areas, semi-wild habitats, incubation research facilities, wastewater treatment systems, surveillance cameras and related technical infrastructure.

Lam added that the park received its first group of six juvenile Sarus cranes from Thailand’s Korat Zoo and the Zoological Park Organization of Thailand in April last year.

After more than a year under strict care protocols, five cranes remain healthy and have adapted well to conditions at Tram Chim. The cranes, which weighed between 5.4kg and 7.2kg during weighing in November 2025, have now reached maturity.

Since early 2026, the cranes have been paired and separated into breeding enclosures, including two breeding pairs and one unpaired female.

According to the park, one crane from the first transfer died during the quarantine period due to a congenital immune weakness. The specimen was preserved for research and communication purposes in accordance with regulations.

Under the long-term conservation plan, cranes from both transfer phases will later be moved into pairing areas to select mates naturally. The first breeding season at Tram Chim is expected between 2027 and 2028.

The Sarus crane conservation programme at Tram Chim has a budget of around VND185 billion (US$7.1 million). Over the next decade, Dong Thap province in southern Vietnam is set to to raise and release around 100 cranes into the wild, including 50 capable of reproducing naturally.

Covering 7,313 hectares, Tram Chim National Park is one of the last remaining wetland ecosystems of the former Dong Thap Muoi region. The park is home to rich biodiversity, including 231 bird species, and was recognised as Vietnam’s fourth Ramsar site and the world’s 2,000th Ramsar site in 2012.

Red-crowned cranes return to Tram Chim National Forest

Four red-crowned cranes were spotted at the Tram Chim National Park in the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap on March 7, the forest’s management board has reported.