WHITE-NAPED CRANES VISIT CHEORWON

[Anchor Lead]

White-naped cranes are an endangered species of migratory birds that can only be spotted in Korea during this time of year. As always, they have visited Cheorwon Plain this year as well.

[Pkg]

​Hundreds of white-naped cranes can be seen in a village near the Military Demarcation Line, where autumn harvesting is now complete. The birds catch our attention with their elegant movement, bold red feathers around the eyes, with a long neck and gray wings... They eat grains scattered on the ground and enjoy the scenery. Some fly into the foggy sky in pairs to glide over nearby villages. The global population of the white-naped cranes stands at just 7000. This endangered species lives primarily in Siberia and visits Korea only during the winter months. Some two thousand birds have already arrived this year. About four thousand more will join by the end of the year.

[Soundbite] Baek Jong-han(Korean Crane Conservation Association) : "The cranes arrived about eight days later this year because it's less cold due to climate change."

This year the public will be able to observe the migratory birds from a close distance. A birdwatching zone has been set up inside the Civilian Control Line on Ice Cream Hill, where a fierce battle took place during the Korean War. It stands 200 meters tall. The public can watch various bird species fly around without disturbing their course or habitat. At the International Crane Center that has opened recently, visitors can watch videos of cranes year-round.

[Soundbite] Yoon Won-no(Cheorwon-gun County Government) : "We have opened the International Crane Center to create a crane hub of Northeast Asia in cooperation with the U.S. and Japan."

The white-naped cranes will leave Cheorwon Plain one by one starting from late December.