Taipei delegation departs for Japan to collect gift of rare cranes
A delegation from the Taipei City government left for Hokkaido on Monday to collect a pair of red-crowned cranes that Japan is giving to Taiwan as a token of the Japanese peoples gratitude for Taiwans generous aid in the wake of the March earthquake and tsunami.Chao Hsin-ping director of the citys Department of Information and Tourism who is leading the delegation said the gift of the two red-crowned cranes a highly treasured and rare bird species will help promote bilateral cooperation in the conservation of endangered animal species.
The delegation comprising city officials zookeepers and veterinarians will take the opportunity to promote Taipeis tourist attractions among Japanese citizens Chao said.We hope more Japanese people will travel to Taipei to see the two valuable cranes after they are resettled at Taipei Zoo Chao said.The pair of rare birds year-old Big and year old Grace are presents from the Kushiro City Zoo which manages the Kushiro Crane Natural Park and Akan International Crane Center.
The Kushiro City government will host a party at the Kushiro zoo Tuesday to hand over the two red-crowned cranes.After the handover ceremony the Taipei delegation will also visit the Kushiro Crane Natural Park and the Akan International Crane Center later in the day to gain a better understanding of the birds habitat. The male crane was born and raised at the Akan International Center
An EVA Airways Boeing plane will transport the pair of red-crowned cranes to Taipei on Wednesday Chao said prior to her departure from Taiwan. An experienced Japanese vet will travel with the birds on the flight from Hokkaido to Taipei she added.It reportedly will mark the first time that Japan is giving the crane its national bird to a foreign country as a gift. In traditional Japanese culture the crane symbolizes longevity and auspiciousness. The species is widely loved and treasured in Japan.
Upon arrival in Taiwan Big and Grace will be kept in quarantine for while and the Taipei Zoo will host a news conference the following day to brief the media on the zoos acquisition of the birds. If all goes well Taipei Zoo officials said Big which is not as shy as Grace may be shown to the public around According to the officials zookeepers and vets were sent to the Kushiro zoo last month to learn about medical care and breeding of the cranes.