Since the 1970ies, NABU (Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union) and WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature) Germany had separate projects to protect the Eurasian Crane in Lower-Saxony, Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein. In the former GDR, the “Arbeitskreis zum Schutz vom Aussterben bedrohter Tierarten in der DDR“ (“working group for the protection of endangered animal species in the GDR“) took care of an intensive monitoring of cranes.
After the reunion, the working group “Kranichschutz Deutschland“ (Crane Conservation Germany) was founded in 1991 by crane conservationists from Eastern and Western Germany with support by Lufthansa´s environmental sponsoring programme.

In addition to public work, the aim of this project is the conservation of a save breeding home for the crane as well as of peaceful gathering and resting places in Germany. The achievement of these objectives contributes to the international crane protection.

In our days, cranes are endangered all over the world due to the destruction of their habitats. As migrating species, they can only be protected in the long run by cross-border concepts e.g. international treaties like the “Convention of Bonn“ (agreement over the preservation of wild migrating animals), laws and cooperations.

In Eastern and Southern Europe as well as in Africa, the overwintering sites have to be protected. The conservation is supposed to begin in Lothringen already where small groups of cranes often spent the winter. Traditional forms of land use e.g. in Eastern Europe and in Spain (“Dehesas“) are at risk due to the proceeding development of intensive agriculture. Their preservation is a collective, European task.

The prohibition to enter the crane´s breeding sites as well as the gathering and resting sites is regulated by law. The responsible authorities can grant a certificate of excemption for purposes of nature conservation. The pictures shown on this site were all taken with approvals.

But there are a lot of possibilies to observe cranes standing on roads or field paths without disturbing them. Everyone following the rules contributes to the protection of the birds. In areas where cranes learned to accept humans and don´t regard them as danger, they can be observed from relatively short distances.