IN CAPTIVE BREEDING

MANAGEMENT OF
EASTERN SARUS CRANE
(Grus antigone shrapii )
AT NAKHONRATCHASIMA
ZOO
Nakhonratchasima Zoo is
located in Nakhonratchasima
province in the Northeast part
of Thailand, which is about
280 kilometers far from
Bangkok.

35. Bangkok
51. Nakhonratchasima
- The Zoo covers area 30 hectare.
- There are more than 250 species of animal in the zoo
- There are about 400,000 visitors that come the zoo per year.
This picture is the main entrance in the first year of
construction in 1989.
Eastern Sarus Crane captive breeding program started in 1990
The first success of this project was in August, 1997 when the we had the
newborn Eastern Sarus Crane.
The main characteristics of the
Eastern Sarus Crane are:
- The body looks like a stork.
- The body plumage is almost in gray.
- The upper neck and head is red bare
skin.
- The total length of head and body is
about 152 cm.
- ESC is the biggest and tallest bird in
Thailand.
ESC is distribution in Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. The estimated number of nature
habitat about 500 to 1,500 birds. Former resident; now extinct in Thailand.
- The interesting behavior of ESC is
when they feed, they feed together.
They like to live together as the
pairs for life.
- This species is monogamy.
- The interesting behavior of ESC is
when they feed, they feed together.
They like to live together as the pairs
for life.
- This species is monogamy.
The courtship behavior by the male
and female dancing and calling
together.
- The male calls in a lower tone while
stretching the neck and lifting the
wings over the back.
- The female stretches the wings
beneath the body and lifts the beak
60 degrees with the ground.
 Nesting Season
- The ESC is starts to make a nest in the
rainy season. The pair starts to make a
nest after they copulate already and
complete in 2 days later.
- They make a nest on the ground or in
the shallow water by building bulky
pad of water plants. A nest look like a
flat basket, it height over water 3 to
25 cm.
- ESC lays 2 eggs per cluster,
sometime only 1 egg.
- The estimated weight is about
120 to 170 grams.
- The incubation period is about
28 to 30 days.
 Both male and female help each other to incubate during the daytime.
But in the nighttime, only the female incubates the eggs. The male will
walk near the nest to protect them.
The incubation period is about 28 to 30 days.
The 2 day old ESC chick was strong enough to walk and follow the parents.
-The mother seeking earthworms,
and feeding the chick.
- The chick is kept near older crane
for paring.
-We call this method is the force
pairing.
The mother incubates the chick and refuses to incubate the second egg.
The second egg inside the incubator, then the chick start to
break through the eggshell.
The second chick in the first hour.
- The ESC nursery box has the parent puppet and the light to keep the chick
warm.
In the first 7 days, the keepers teach the chick to learn to eat food
earthworms and small fresh fish.
The chick food is earthworms and small fresh fish.
After 7 days, the chick able to eat food by itself. It is good for the chick
not to have the high level imprint behavior if the keeper gives food for
a long time.
The 2 month old chick.
- The chick is kept near
older crane for paring.
- We call this method is the
force pairing.
 The important factors in the ESC breeding management are :
1.The breeding cage area should more than 100 square meter per one pair.
2.The breeding cage area must be separate from the visitor area to reduce the
interference around the cages.
3. .The screen around the cage to make the pair of birds feel safe in their area.
4.Should have the pond in the cage for :
- the water plants for the bird to make
a nest.
- the pair to swim in the pond.
- the keeper releases the small fresh
fish into the pond as food.
 5.The method to pair male and
female ESC is the force pairing
method.
6. Food for a chick is earthworms and small fresh fish.
7. Food for adult is a dry pellet dog food.
8. For the proper behavior of ESC
in breeding, the chick must be taken
care of by the parents to reduce an
imprint behavior.
• The summary number of ESC in Nakhonratchasima Zoo.
(Updated on 8 October, 2003)
• Wild caught = 33
• Zoo born = 32
• The total number = 65
• Death and transfer to other places = 20
• Balance = 39
• Male = 14
• Female = 12
• Unknown = 13
• Paring Record
- Pairing and lay eggs = 5 pairs
- Just pairing = 3 pairs
- Try to pairing = 4 pairs
- Bachelor Male = 2
- Growing chicks = 13 chicks
The Artificial insemination project in
ESC was started in 2002.
This picture shows how to capture
male ESC.
Keepers were capturing a male
ECS for semen collection.
Keeper was preparing female for
insemination.
Inserting 1 ml syring with diluted semen into
female genital organ.
The first eastern sarus crans chick from artificila insemination
procedure.
Reintroduction
Reintroduction
 THANK YOU
1. Mr. Sophon Damnui
General Director of The Zoological Park Organization of Thailand
Under The Royal Patronage of H.M. The King
2. WG. CDR. Krawee Kretaphon
Nakhonratchasima Zoo Director