Display of red-crowned crane for tourism halted in Harbin over welfare concerns
A red-crowned crane is displayed on Central Street in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province.
The exhibition of a red-crowned crane, a nationally protected and threatened species, on Central Street in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, aimed at boosting tourism, has been halted due to concerns about the bird's welfare.
Authorities from Hegang City in Heilongjiang, who brought the sole crane to Harbin for tourism promotion, will face punishment for their unauthorized actions, said the provincial forestry and grassland administration on January 29, according to Thepaper.cn.
The attempt to attract tourists with the crane backfired when online videos revealed the bird in apparent distress, shivering as crowds gathered to take pictures.
The red-crowned crane, native to northeast China and northeast Asia, requires pristine and expansive wetland habitats. Classified as a threatened species in the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List, it holds the highest level of protection for wild animals in China.
