Zhalong State Nature Reserve for Red-Crowned Cranes, the largest artificial breeding center for red-crowned cranes in the country, is on high alert for bird flu following reports about an outbreak of the deadly avian-borne disease in the Republic of Korea.

Experts say that unlike domestic poultry, which die almost immediately after becoming infected with the virus, migratory birds, especially some waterfowl, can survive for several weeks, which increases the chances of the virus being spread along their migratory routes.

Zhalong, situated south of Qiqihar, a city in western Heilongjiang Province, is on the flight route of migratory birds, which increases the risk of a possible bird flu outbreak in the reserve, according to Wang Wenfeng, deputy head of Administration for Zhalong State-Level Nature Reserve.

In addition to activating a daily reporting mechanism, the reserve administration has increased open-air monitoring at four observation stations in the reserve, said Wang.

"All injured birds that are rescued are tested for the bird flu antibody and are not released back into the reserve until they are completely cleared of bird flu virus worries," said Wang.

The expert said that this is the migration period, and if just one of any number of flocks of birds carried the virus, the whole migratory route could be contaminated by their excretions.

Apart from vaccinating all red-crowned cranes on the reserve, workers have been instructed to put rare and precious fowls into cages instead of leaving them on the wetland. Red-crowned crane shelters are being disinfected on a regular basis.

Zhalong, which has 230 rare birds of 13 species, including 202 artificially-bred red-crowned cranes, Xianghai Lake Nature Reserve and Momoge Nature Reserve, both in Jilin Province, are the three major crane protection bases in China. Some 600 red-crowned cranes have been bred at the centers.

In Chinese culture, cranes represent longevity.

Source: Xinhua