The Tale of the White Cranes. Chapter first.
This story is about how people are trying to save the West Siberian population of Siberian Cranes. Siberian Cranes are a species that is on the verge of extinction. The birthplace of Siberian Cranes is Siberia. Therefore, they are also called white Siberian cranes. Siberian Cranes breed chicks in Yamal in the lower reaches of the Ob River, and winter in Iran and India. There are only twenty Siberian Cranes left in Western Siberia. The village of Brykin Bor is located far from the nesting sites of Siberian Cranes. in the Ryazan region. Sometimes, in the frosty air, sounds are heard that, better than any calendar, tell the locals about the imminent arrival of spring. This is the cry of the cranes, whose wedding time is coming. In 1979, at the initiative of the International Crane Conservation Fund, a nursery was established in the Oksky Reserve. Gradually, couples were created in the reserve, who have been living together for more than a dozen years. And scientists release their chicks into the wild every year. Among the cranes, Siberian Cranes are among the most aggressive. This is characteristic of rare species of cranes. Put on the brink of survival, they defend themselves. The Siberian Crane is one of the oldest types of cranes. It has a long beak and a large head, only half feathered. Siberian Cranes choose a couple for life. And they live up to seventy years.