Case study. Sarus Cranes and Indian farmers: an ancient coexistence

Sarus Cranes (Grus antigone) in India have benefited from long-standing culturaland traditional values of farmers. Substantial breeding populations persist even on landscapesentirely converted to human-dominated croplands. Four distinct population-level behaviorsare recognized. Prominent growing conservation challenges for Sarus Cranes are highlighted.These include localized threats like egg mortality and land use change, and broader threats likepesticide-related mortality, industrialization, land use change, and changing climate. Challengesto Sarus Crane conservation are enormous, but persisting traditional agriculture and positivefarmer attitudes offer considerable advantages. Framing and developing initiatives around theseadvantages will be critical to executing efficient and long-term conservation interventions.