HOODED CRANES’ LOCATION TRACKED

[Anchor Lead]

For the first time in Korea, location tracking devices have been attached to hooded cranes, an endangered species and a natural monument. This is expected to not only help researchers build extensive data on their travel routes and breeding grounds, but help protect their habitats.

[Pkg]

Hooded cranes spending the winter at Suncheonman Bay in Jeollanamdo Province. Some of the birds are captured to attach a location tracking device to their bodies.

[Soundbite] "g.r.u.s 2301 discharge!"

This crane, with the device attached, stands still for a while and then suddenly takes off. The device, resembling a small mobile phone, has been tagged to five birds between their two wings. Using sunlight, the device will relay location information semi-permanently.

[Soundbite] Jang Ik-sang(Suncheon City Gov't) : "The device is to scientifically determine their accurate travel route."

Such practices have been done in China and Japan, but it's the first time the device has been attached to a hooded crane in Korea. The city of Suncheon and researchers at Chonnam National University expect to confirm, through data, key changes occurring to the cranes. This includes Suncheonman Bay becoming their winter home and their main travel route having changed from Nakdonggang river to the western coast.

[Soundbite] Prof. Sung Ha-cheol(Chonnam Nat’l Univ.) : "The cranes typically take two major routes. We hope to know the travel path of hooded cranes frequenting Suncheonman Bay."

In Korea, 1,172 birds of 65 different species have worn similar tracking devices over the years for research purposes.