veys to search for the wintering Si- 
berian cranes and hope to initiate ae- 
rial surveys sometime this year. But 
if the wetlands used by this population 
are flooded by waters backed up from 
one of the three dams now planned 
along the Yangtze or if they are 
drained for agriculture before the 
birds are found, the prospects for this 
flock will be bleak. 
George Archibald; International Crane Foundation 
On the brighter side, the ICF, lo- 
cated in Baraboo, Wisconsin, and the 
Soviet Ministry of Agriculture have 
established a “species bank” of cap- 
tive Siberian cranes. By collecting 
eggs from the wild, hatching them 
in incubators, and hand raising the 
resultant chicks, ICF has established 
a population of twelve individuals 
while the Soviets maintain thirteen 
birds at their captive propagation cen- 
ter in the Oka State Nature Reserve 
about 200 miles southeast of Moscow. 
In this era of environmental and 
political crises, captive breeding of Si- 
berian cranes may offer the last hope 
for the survival of the species. When 
the smoke from the bombs clears, per- 
haps this great white bird will once 
again rise to command the skies. □ 
m* ***** 
1 P* 1 
U’VV I r ‘ * 4, J 
'tu- juSS beJ 
