Omid’s likely midway break
Glass half-full side of Siberian crane’s absence from Miankaleh wetland
A specialized committee will decide the status of Roya, the mate chosen for the sole surviving western Siberian crane named Omid, announced the Director General of the Office of Wildlife Protection and Management of Iran’s Department of the Environment (DoE).
Omid, who has been migrating alone from Siberia to Iran for 15 years, finally found his mate, Roya, last year, IRNA reported.
However, due to unsuitable conditions for the long journey to Siberia, Roya stayed behind while Omid embarked on the migration. Now, after a year of anticipation, there is still no news of Omid’s return to Iran, causing concern for the extinction of the western population of Siberian cranes.
The Siberian crane population is divided into three main groups: eastern, western, and central. The central population, which migrated to India, has already become extinct. The western population used to visit Iran, but now only Omid remains as the last male crane. If Omid were to perish, the Western population would face complete extinction. However, the eastern population, with around 3,000 cranes, still migrates to China.
Iran is particularly worried about the disappearance of the western flight path of Siberian cranes to the country with the potential loss of Omid. To address this concern, the DoE initiated negotiations with Belgium to bring a mate for Omid. Finally, on January 26, 2023, Omid’s mate Roya arrived in Iran. Roya was carefully transported to Miankaleh wetland and placed in a specially prepared cage.
This year, despite autumn passing and winter arriving, there is no sign of Omid. The DoE official stated that the delayed arrival of Omid could be attributed to less severe weather conditions this year.
“It is possible that Omid halted his journey midway, as these birds are influenced by climate factors. However, this perspective remains the optimistic side of the story,” said Gholamreza Ebdali.
He also mentioned Omid’s history of late arrivals in Iran, citing examples such as his arrival in December 2009 and instances when he did not come at all, possibly due to a lack of extreme cold temperatures.
Regarding the absence of tracking devices on Omid, Ebdali explained that the risk involved in capturing the last remaining crane prevented the installation of a tracker. Concerning Roya’s condition, Ebdali assured the media that she was in good health and being kept in her cage.
“If Omid fails to return, a specialized committee will decide on Roya’s future placement.”