Fire in red-crested crane habitat under control
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2005-03-28 11:28

Fire scorching wetland reeds of Zha Lung Nature Reserve in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province for one week is now under control with the help of sudden snow, according to local sources.

The snow is still falling at press time in the seasonal home of many of China's red-crested cranes, said the fire fighting headquarters of local government.

The snowfall, which began last night and became heavier gradually, has helped firefighters' efforts in putting off the fire, said the headquarters.

The headquarters said that the cause of the fire, the acreage affected and economic losses are still under investigation.

Set up in 1979, Zha Lung Nature Reserve covering an area of 210,000 hectares is a state-level nature reserve for the red-crested crane.

The red-crested crane, or Grus japonensis, is an endangered species in the highest category of protection in China. There are only 1,000 such birds in the world living in Japan, Russia, and the Republic of Korea. And more than 220 red-crested cranes have been found in Zha Lung alone.

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