The Reason Why 2,000 Red-crowned Cranes That Lived in Japan Suddenly Disappeared

Habitat Creation: To protect the red-crowned cranes, Suncheon City removed 282 utility poles and 12,000m of power lines in 2009, and cleared commercial facilities such as restaurants and roads around the tidal flats. Community Cooperation: Farmers and residents cooperated to create feeding grounds and resting areas by offering their livestock sheds and leaving grains on the fields after harvesting rice. Ecological Restoration Success: The number of red-crowned cranes in Suncheon Bay, which was only 167 in 2006, surged to 7,600 as of 2024, an increase of about 45 times. Their wariness towards humans also decreased, significantly reducing the bird-watching distance from 700m to 20m. Economic and Ecological Effects: In addition to red-crowned cranes, various endangered species such as black-faced spoonbills began to visit, establishing it as a successful eco-tourism model attracting 4.2 million tourists annually. This is a case where proactive habitat conservation efforts by the local government and residents for nature led to successful ecological restoration and revitalization of the local economy.